The Perfect Seat

A dapper moose and rosy-cheeked calf leave a bookstore eager to read, but they struggle to find a place to perch in this well-paced story. Faced with a procession of imperfect seats arranged in opposites, they mount a search ("Too Big" sees them small within a café's giant armchair, "Too Small" finds them perched uncomfortably on a fire hydrant). Lê offers some lighthearted comic variation to the formula, as the adult spins on a tire swing ("Should the perfect seat make you this dizzy?"), and as two sit on opposite sides of a bench that spans both pages of a spread ("Too... Wide"). Gordon's mixed-media illustrations in grays and greens create a comfortable mood just right for lap reading, and readers can follow the two seat seekers via an endpaper map. Though the end is no surprise, this one is just right for the story time set. Ages 3-5. (Nov.)

PreS-Gr 1--A young moose calf asks an older stylish moose, in a sweater vest and fedora, for a story--but first they need to find the perfect seat for reading aloud together. Thus starts a Goldilocks-esque quest as the companions try out various seats in the city only to find that none are suitable. The bicycle is too rough, the slide is too slippery, the train is too crowded, and so forth. Ready to give up, the moose sits at the base of tree in a park and the two realize they have found the ideal spot to read. Hand-lettered text of brief and precise prose, is spot-on for very young listeners. Illustrations crafted using watercolors, pencils, crayons, and touch of collage convey a subtle whimsy. The bright red book, to be shared by the companions, is on every page and stands out against the mostly light green, gray, and blue pages. VERDICT A perfect pick for sharing aloud in almost any seat in the city.--Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services