You Can Be

There are a great many different ways “to be,” suggests Gravel in this funny and affirming board book. Cartoon children display different moods, feelings, and states of being. A wide-eyed child takes off running—he’s “scared.” Striking a “bizarre” look, another child sticks out her tongue and bulges out one of her eyes. A girl in pigtails and an A-line dress makes a “noisy” sound, while another child proudly displays his painting of a pink horse—he’s “artsy.” Whether “adventurous” or “quiet,” “helpful” or “angry,” all ways of being are valid (except being rude or mean, Gravel says). Readers may recognize their own moods in the expressive, goofy characters. Ages 3–5. (Oct.)