Tomorrow Most Likely

On the title page of this meditation by Eggers (Her Right Foot), a child is seen lying in bed, hands folded expectantly. Eggers makes a small, safe promise: "Tomorrow most likely/ there will be a sky./ And chances are it will be blue." Line by line, the possibilities grow as Smith (Grandpa Green) shows the boy, a child of color, waking, finding breakfast, and exploring city streets in a canary-yellow fedora. Spreads and panel sequences offer a kaleidoscope of sprightly colors and textures: thick paint-stroke layers, sponging, bits of collage. The soothing repetition of "tomorrow most likely" provides an ostinato for quirky, tongue-in-cheek observations ("There will be a squirrel/ And chances are his name is Stu"). The litany ends with an affirmation: "Tomorrow most likely/ will be a great day/ because you are in it." Occasionally, Eggers's vision of childhood experiences seems driven more by rhyme scheme than close observation ("You'll hear something odd..../ You'll meet Cousin Todd"). Books about outside exploration in the countryside abound. Here, the urban setting gives city kids a poem that belongs to them. Ages 3-5. 

Copyright 2019 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2-As a young black boy is tucked into bed, he imagines both the ordinary and extraordinary things that might happen the next day. Popping with rhyme, humor, and imagination, the text takes readers from a mundane blue sky to a squirrel named Stu and Cousin Todd blowing a kazoo. Lane's mixed-media illustrations add vibrancy to each panel, lending a jazzy, infectious beat to Eggers's lines. Each stanza begins with the phrase "Tomorrow most likely" and rhymes, with the laughable exception of "Tomorrow most likely/something won't rhyme." Perspective plays a tremendous role in the art and text, which helps both the flow and repetition to stay interesting even for older readers. At times, Smith reveals only part of what is happening in a picture or shows the cityscape and then abruptly adjusts to reveal the full picture or zooms in on a detail in the verse. Playful metaphors, such as "you could eat a cloud," are simply fun when combined with the art. Ultimately, the zaniness wraps with the core message: "Tomorrow most likely/will be a great day/because you are in it" and encourages originality and creativity in children. VERDICT Highly recommended for all collections; an outstanding storytime selection.

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.