What If?

In this outside-the-box book about friendship, Seeger ("Dog and Bear") pictures a boy kicking a beach ball into the water, and then invites the reader to explore the possibilities of what might happen next. Each of the three stories about three seals is told visually with spare verbal prompts ending in ellipses (What if...? And what if...? Then what if...?). In the first two stories, a different seal gets left out of the fun (a closeup of a tan seal's forlorn face is downright heartbreaking), while the third story features all three seals happily playing together. The difference in color between the gray and mauve seals is perhaps a touch too subtle, but readers should be able to keep the animals straight. Seeger unobtrusively underscores each story arc with textured illustrationssunlight sparkles on the water, gradually sets, and stars appear in the deep blue skyand provides a deceptively simple but creative introduction to the structure of stories and how simple it is to be a good friend. Ages 37. "(May)"

Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 1A deceptively simple, nearly wordless tale of friendship and sharing. The story begins on the endpapers, where a boy throws a beach ball and it floats out to sea. The next page has only the words "what if]?" and shows two sea lions playing with it until it rolls onto the beach. One sea lion goes ashore ("And what if]?"), where a third sea lion joins in ("Then what if...?"), leaving the first one alone and sad. Next comes a page with the word "or," and this time the second sea lion brings it back to the first, leaving the third one out. In the third "what if," the sea lion out to sea comes ashore to join the other two, and the three play together, and then head off, leaving the ball in the sand. Seeger's grasp of children's concerns and ability to visually tell a full story with minimal words is masterful here. She captures the complexity of friendship and sharing in a way that will speak to kids and invite discussion. The illustrations are saturated with color. The sea lions are depicted with minimal lines, yet still imbued with personality. The artist marries the charm of her "Dog and Bear" books with the thick color washes of "First the Egg" (2007, all Roaring Brook) to create something new and yet familiar. This book is perfect for parents and teachers looking for books on interpersonal relationships, or just a great book to share."Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Simply gorgeous." —Starred, Kirkus Reviews

"Another superb offering from this master picture book creator-no ifs, ands, or buts about it." —Starred, Horn Book

"Seeger unobtrusively underscores each story arc with textured illustrations—sunlight sparkles on the water, gradually sets, and stars appear in the deep blue sky—and provides a deceptively simple but creative introduction to the structure of stories and how simple it is to be a good friend." —Starred, Publishers Weekly

"This book will have many different connections and possibilities in using it with students, from character education to writing." —Starred, Library Media Connection

"Subtle variations in the sun-soaked illustrations help readers see all the possibilities in this near-wordless title." —Family Fun magazine

"It's the work of an artist who never overplays her hand, and the brushstrokes and possibly even finger strokes evident in the colorful paint give it an even deeper sense of intimacy. " —Booklist