Everyone Gets a Turn

This lively, thoughtful work in several parts by Dubuc (Bear and the Whisper of the Wind) follows four friends who, finding an egg in the forest, initially squabble over who gets to take it home. Much to everyone’s surprise, the egg pipes up: “EVERYONE GETS A TURN!” Simple line artwork in soft tints and clearly laid-out panels shows the snug interior of each house. At Mouse’s comforting place, the egg complains that it’s cold, and Mouse wraps it in a scarf and hat, then snips off part of a blanket to share. At Bear’s, something momentous happens: the egg cracks, and athletic Bear cuddles with newly hatched Little Bird (“Bravo little one!”). Hare’s pantry is crammed with different foods, allowing Little Bird to find out what she likes to eat, and Turtle’s artfully appointed house offers nourishment for the mind. Then Little Bird goes missing, and a section gives her space to choose a home and a name of her own. To survive, creatures need the essentials, but to thrive, this work suggests, they need comfort, activity, sustenance, artistic beauty, and, perhaps most important of all, autonomy—the power to choose for themselves. Ages 3–6. (Mar.)