VIP: Very Important Preschooler

What’s it take to be a VIP—a “Very Important Preschooler”? Five enthusiastic classmates, including kids of varying abilities and skin tones, run through the basics in Jin’s rhyming text, each explaining key responsibilities they carry out on a given weekday. “On Wednesdays, it’s my turn to be the line leader,” narrates a child, portrayed with brown skin, who uses a wheelchair: “It’s my job to lead the class/ and stay quiet in the halls./ I watch and wait and keep the pace/ so that nobody falls.” From classroom greeter to recess helper, Bailey’s figure-focused art depicts each cheerful, wide-eyed kid donning a paper crown when they describe their special duties. Though there are no velvet ropes for this VIP crowd, amid scenes dotted with student artwork and toys, the board book’s inclusive message stresses “we play, we laugh, and we work together,” insisting that “we’re all VIPs in more ways than one.” Ages 1–5. (July)