In this whimsical account of enduring a cold, a boy begins by describing his symptoms, from runny nose and sore throat through fever. Vibrant digitally enhanced ink illustrations portray the boy as he goes through the stages of being sick and, along with the text, venture into the world of imagination when the boy recovers and thinks about where his cold might have gone. He recalls colds past, envisioning the bug as an anthropomorphic, green, red-nosed creature who visits people he knows, and wonders if his cold is traveling the world, visiting places such as Canada, the Alps and Peru. The colorful pictures show each area with basic, identifiable details and present people of various races and cultures throughout the world, while the playful story’s gentle humor will engage and entertain. It turns out the cold hasn’t traveled that far though; the boy realizes it’s traveled across the hall—to his sister’s room. Quirky and unusual, with a touch of multiculturalism, this may be just the right book to entertain a child who is feeling ill. (Picture book. 4-6)
