THE SMUSHKINS

A most amusing exploration of all things color.

The Smushkins—big-eyed animals with an endless supply of energy—highlight an array of different hues as they take part in everyday activities. A hippolike creature holding a long mop removes the grime from a window as Rueda’s text reads “wipe / wipe” in a font that increases in size. Turn the page to see our Smushkin lounging with a drink, with the “blue!” sky now clearly visible through the window. A birdlike critter twirls cotton candy until the entire page is awash in “pink!” A pair of friends leap into the mud until they’re up to their eyeballs in dirt: “brown!” These creatures and their lowkey trials and tribulations have a Moomin-like vibe. Clutching an umbrella, a Smushkin with long, rabbitlike ears picks up the pace as clouds loom ominously: “gray!” Sometimes the Smushkins paint themselves into corners (“purple!”); sometimes they knit overwhelmingly big and strange creations (“orange!”). The text is minimal, limited to a word or two per page; these gags are entirely visual and always gentle. The denouement brings the full cast back together, streamers in each Smushkin hand.

A peppy concept book for small children enamored of these lovable critters.