Ellie Mae Dreams Big!

McMorris encourages boundary-defying self-exploration in this standard dress-up drama. Ellie Mae doesn’t like “assignments with too many choices,” so she struggles when her teacher asks the class to dress up as what they aspire to be when they grow up. Luckily, “an exciting idea zapped into her mind,” and she’s soon envisioning a series of goofy costume mash-ups: astronaut-chef (“Her gooey, galactic, grilled cheese sandwiches would be known throughout the universe”), candy-farmer, pirate-dentist, zookeeper-teacher, and ballerina-painter. Unsure how to decide, the East Asian–cued child worries before coming up with a solution that wholeheartedly leans into the plethora of choices. Yoshida’s digital cartoon renderings of Ellie Mae’s imaginings have a static quality that nevertheless succeeds in extending the protagonist’s big dreams, which should inspire a similar creative spirit in readers. Ages 3–6. (Jan.)