Nimesh the Adventurer

Richly textured, vividly hued digital collages illustrate this playful depiction of a boy%E2%80%99s imagination through a seemingly ordinary day. %E2%80%9CHello Nimesh, is school over?%E2%80%9D an unseen narrator asks a boy surrounded by classmates. %E2%80%9CThis is not a school,%E2%80%9D answers the boy cheerfully. %E2%80%9CIt%E2%80%99s an ancient cave, and shhhh! Or you%E2%80%99ll wake... the dragon!%E2%80%9D The following image reveals Nimesh%E2%80%99s imagined scenario: an endearing dragon in party shoes snoozes peacefully at a desk. On subsequent spreads, the question-and-answer format alternates everyday scenes with his wild, creative adventures: a school hallway becomes a shark-infested sea; an elderly neighbor on a park bench is actually a princess in a garden. In a final reversal, Nimesh responds with a happy dose of reality: this door doesn%E2%80%99t lead to a cave full of gold; it leads to home, where he%E2%80%99s greeted by his mother, dressed in a sari, and his father, in kurta pajamas. Featuring diverse characters, this debut offering from Singh and award-winning illustrator Amini (Yo Soy Muslim: A Father%E2%80%99s Letter to His Daughter) is a vibrant invitation to creative play. Ages 4%E2%80%938. (Apr.)