READ TO ME: This dad sets the bar for bedtime stories

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/CELIA STOREY
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/CELIA STOREY

TITLE: Just Because

BY: Mac Barnett, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (Candlewick Press, September) ages 4-8, 40 pages, $17.99 hardcover, $9.17 Kindle

STORY: A lucky girl who doesn't want to go to sleep stops her father's retreat from her room by asking questions, and he parries with fantastic answers.

Why is the ocean blue? "Every night, when you go to sleep, the fish take out guitars. They sing sad songs and cry blue tears."

Why do the leaves change color? "In autumn, when the world gets colder, the trees keep warm by setting quiet little fires in their leaves. By winter, their branches have all burned up."

Why do birds fly south for the winter? "To fetch new leaves for the trees."

Arsenault's full-bleed illustrations in subdued tones have a midcentury-modern sophistication. We recently admired this Canadian artist's work in the translation of Timotheé de Fombelle's moving World War I storybook Captain Rosalie. She's the author of the abecedarian picture book Alpha and Albert's Quiet Quest.

Barnett's output includes some of our most favorite picture books, including the recent Shape trilogy with Jon Klassen and the Caldecott Honor Books Extra Yarn and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. His 2014 Ted Talk is about stories and lies.

Read to Me is a weekly review of short books.

Style on 11/11/2019

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