IS THIS A PLUM?

Cheeky surprises await inside this witty, rhyming die-cut book.

Mmmmm. A tasty purple plum beckons from the front cover. Or does it? Because under that die-cut image, well, there’s a violet hippo bum! Each zany rhyming pair presents a mind-blowing bit of visual trickery sure to elicit gasps. A round head and eight long lines makes the answer to “Is this a SPIDER?” feel obvious. But a grandly theatrical page turn reveals the bigger picture. Arachnid legs reorient into whiskers. That spider? “It’s a TIGER.” Feathery goose? “No—it’s a MOOSE!” Sprinkle-laden cake? “It’s a SNAKE!” A final page revisits the titular fruit, but with a full-circle twist: “Yes—it’s a PLUM!” A fanciful, double-page summation shows the pairs mingling, including the hippo munching the plum. Pencil crayoned illustrations are drawn incredibly precisely in order to create the marvelous die-cut magic, yet they feel casual, like something a very talented parent might doodle for a child. It’s a fitting style, considering the book is the work of a father-and-son author/illustrator team. Rich, highly variegated colored lines pop against minimal backgrounds, as do the many creatures’ wide, round eyes that stare sassily back at readers. Though undeniably enjoyable, the book has surprisingly serious underpinnings. It's “dedicated to the truth,” and an author’s note from Finn (8 years old when the story was created) petitions readers to “think about what things really are,” an exceptionally timely reminder.

Idiosyncratic and thought-provoking in the very best ways.