My Parents Won't Stop Talking!

Yardley Zurowski, this picture book's pink-skinned kid narrator, is eager for a family outing to the park with little brother Seth, who has brown skin, and their two moms (one brown-skinned and one white). And then it happens: the parents are intercepted by the across-the-street-neighbors, the marvelously named Credenzas, and the four grown-ups settle in for a long chat (the topics, all "BORING" to Yardley's ears, range from recipes to DIYing). The unfazed Seth is "too young to understand it's hopeless," but Yardley slowly loses it. Debut creator Hunsinger and Walden (Are You Listening?), who have a freewheeling style with both words and pictures, draw the cartoon protagonist with Keane-like eyes, a put-upon mien, and a body posture that seems almost liquid with despair as Yardley flashes back to situations such as contemplating a life caught "forever" in a black-and-white void. The moms finally wrap it up, and Yardley and Seth get their park playdate, but not before readers get to indulge in some deeply satisfying, all-too-real wallowing with an expressive character in full-throttle comic agony. Ages 3-6. Agents: (for Walden) Seth Fishman, the Gernert Co.; (for Hunsinger) Molly O'Neill, Root Literary. (Feb.)

K-Gr 3--In the two cartoonists' energetic picture book collaboration, Molly's moms--one brown, one white--announce a trip to the park. Little brother Seth, who has brown skin and seems to be two or three, and lighter-skinned Molly, who appears to be about five, are thrilled, but they're hardly out the door, when the chatty neighbors stall them. Molly considers herself an ace at waiting, but this time she almost can't bear it (it's unclear why this time is different), despite her active imagination. The very cartoonish illustrations sometimes make Molly's face a scary caricature but are overall lively and colorful, especially when Molly imagines sinking into the "forever" of her parents' talking, or realizes that she can unleash the full power of her fantasies. Unfortunately, much of the book is aimed over small heads, offering adults a chuckle via references to "gluten-free crystals" or unconventional (stereotyped) lifestyles. The slow exposition risks the reader's own patience, with little payoff. VERDICT The cartoonists are on Molly's side, but the pacing, disparate styles, anticlimax, and higher reading level are at odds with the intended audience.--Patricia D. Lothrop

Deeply satisfying, all-too-real wallowing with an expressive character in full-throttle comic agony. —Publishers Weekly