WHAT’S GOING ON?

The title question may well have both kids and adults trying to figure out what’s going on as a young boy declares, “This was me before. This is me now.” He continues contrasting his mom and dad, his room and the kitchen, observing that in the last three months strange things have happened and his parents have been acting weird. By now, the light bulb may go on for adult readers, especially as the illustrations depict dad brushing with hair gel instead of toothpaste, rocking the grocery cart and wearing mismatched socks to the office, while mom sprays her hair with bug spray, puts salt instead of sugar on strawberries and only tells short bedtime stories. No, everyone has NOT gone crazy; it’s just the boy’s three-month-old baby sister. Quirky collages, featuring oversized heads and tubular arms, are oddly child-like, fitting for the skewed new-sibling theme that is, in fact, a welcome change. (Picture book. 4-7)