The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol. Children and grandfather have light skin, the girl with straight black hair and the boy with a curly red mop.Ī lovely, simple reminder to pause and notice this life. A single white lotus floats in a small pond on the final page, perhaps paying homage to contemplative practices such as mindfulness that encourage making space for quiet reflection in our busy lives. Thick outlines separate individual shapes, and the muted palette epitomizes softness. His signature illustration style is so simple that it feels fresh. I can see, when I’m still.” It seems as though the prolific author and illustrator dePaola is speaking directly to readers on these pages, passing on his own insight.

As the book draws toward its close, each child is featured in a full-page portrait illustration, gazing out as they note what the quiet and stillness offers to them: “I can think, when I’m quiet.

The creatures around them respond to their stillness, also taking a moment to rest. The grandfather suggests that the children try another way of being with him, sitting quietly on a bench. The birds are flying, the dog is running everyone seems to be in a hurry. Together, the grandfather and children make note of the bustling natural world. A white-bearded grandfather imparts his gentle wisdom to his grandchildren-a girl and a boy-as they meander through a placid green space.

Perfect Square by Michael Hall