COME ON OUT!

A fearful soul is coaxed out from a hiding place.

“Where are you? It’s time!” A paper-white hand reaches out into the darkness as an unseen creature—depicted only as a pair of trembling eyes—insists, “I’m not coming out. I’m comfortable here!” “Here” is the full pitch black of the page. Color-coded speech bubbles—red for the book’s narrator, blue for the reluctant second character—make it clear who’s speaking. The narrator directly addresses readers, asking them to flip and shake the book in order to get the nervous Nellie to come out. Though some will enjoy the interactive element, others may find the premise—forcing a shy soul out into the open—a bit mean-spirited, especially given the narrator’s rather bombastic delivery. But the tone turns more reassuring as the uncertain creature frets: “What if everyone laughs at me?” The narrator invites readers to “cheer on our friend.” Encouraging phrases—“You got this!” “Keep going!”—illuminate the page, and hands of different colors applaud the main character’s ultimate entry into the spotlight as Lot concludes with a cleverly unexpected ending. Bold, high-contrast illustrations fill the all-black pages, setting a mysterious tone until the grand finale.

Metafictive fun with a sly twist.