You Rule!

What if one could easily measure traditionally unquantifiable thoughts and feelings? Alexander’s got it covered in this boldly colored picture book, which spurs readers to explore emotional nuance around concepts including how much one knows and how much one can do. On each spread, an open-ended question appears for readers to ponder alongside a blue-nosed child protagonist portrayed with brown skin, a perky blue pup, and a helpful green caterpillar. As the figures interact on each page, a range of potential answers appears alongside the query, like a deftly organized word cloud. In a scene asking “How happy are you?” the trio of characters travel down a grassy hill, the child on a bike, with words and phrases beneath their feet ranging from “down in the dumps” to “walking on air.” An additional visual story unfolds as the caterpillar becomes a chrysalis and then a butterfly, and a yellow feline with black stripes—mimicking the unit ticks on a ruler—joins the team. A solid model for naming feelings, this enthusiastic read offers up inspiration perfect for those taking stock. Ages 3–5. (Apr.)