In Longstreth's joyful debut picture book for the entire family, the children wake up their parents at daybreak to recruit them for a day outdoors. In the lightly rhyming narrative, they make a plan and carry it out.
"Let's wake up extra early" say the children as they tiptoe into their parents' room. A turn of the page completes their motive: "before the day gets hot." The dog gets excited as the children tug at the covers to rouse the adults. "Let's pack a picnic, hurry up--ready or not." Wicks (Primates) depicts one child making trail mix while another assembles sandwiches; the mother slices apples as the father fills reusable water bottles. Just right for spring, this picture book emits a can-do spirit, suggesting a trip al fresco can happen anywhere. This family heads for the woods, "trade our shoes for boots," pauses for a family photo, then begins to hike. The pairs of lines don't always rhyme; the appeal of the book stems from the pleasures of engaging in activities that require nothing outside of the woods, trails and ponds they experience. "Let's gather rocks and build a dam and make a little boat./ Let's try with leaves and bark and grass until it finally floats."
From the children's creative ideas and Wicks's illustrations of their inventiveness, children and families everywhere will be inspired to head outside to make memories together. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness