The Knowing Book

"The sky has always been above you, is above you now, and will always be above you. Count on it. It is what you will always know." Dotlich (Race Car Count) urges readers to take risks ("explore those trails not drawn on paper") and develop discernment, but her verse can slide into hazy obscurity, as when she describes "chanting clocks that hang on the walls of dreams." Cordell's ink-and-wash drawings give the pages life and humor, and he imagines the "you" Dotlich addresses as a skinny, eager rabbit with unruly ears and a purple scarf. When Dotlich writes, "When you blow a whistle or a bubble or a horn, it is followed by an echo or a pop or a song.... this is the ballad of your own breathing," Cordell (Lost. Found.) shows the rabbit creating a joyous, kaleidoscopic stream of musical notes and stars. There's no mention of friends or family in the text, but Cordell supplies the rabbit with smiling parents and a cozy burrow. His gentle artwork redeems this secular, follow-your-bliss inspiration. Ages 5-up. Author's agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. Illustrator's agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Feb.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 3--This picture book encourages readers to make the most of their lives. "Open a door. Follow a trail/or a sidewalk or a sign./Any one of them will/take you somewhere." The main character is a rabbit who is leaving home with only a scarf around his neck and a suitcase on his back. The rabbit's mom and dad are seen in the shadows. Curiosity and adventure are encouraged. As the rabbit explores the world and experiences doubt, worry, and fear, the narrator reminds him to turn to something that is always reliable and there: the sky and his own internal strengths. The beautiful pen and ink with watercolor illustrations are as goose bump-inducing as the words of wisdom in the text. VERDICT This inspirational book could be given as a graduation gift at almost any age.--Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"A poem's gentle admonishments nudge readers to open themselves up to the world....Children will intuitively understand the reassuring embrace of the enveloping dome overhead....A frenzy of feeling, pen strokes, and verse that seeks to excite and empower young people just awakening from childhood slumber." —Kirkus Reviews

"(Author) Dotlich urges readers to take risks ... (and) Cordell's ink-and-wash drawings give the pages life and humor..." —Publishers Weekly

"This picture book encourages readers to make the most of their lives....Curiosity and adventure are encouraged.... The beautiful pen and ink with watercolor illustrations are as goose bump-inducing as the words of wisdom in the text. This inspirational book could be given as a graduation gift at almost any age." —School Library Journal