If You Run Out of Words

Getting ready for bedtime, a child, portrayed with pale skin, sees their mustachioed father, shown with light brown skin, hunched over and tapping intently into a smartphone. "What happens if you run out of words?" the young protagonist asks. "Will you have any left for me?" Momentarily taken aback, Dad quickly comes up with a story about an underground "Elves' Word Factory"--depicted in an elaborate cutaway--where he can purchase an "infinity bottle" of words. But the vivid story prompts the equally imaginative child to ask a series of what-if questions that catalyze an extended narrative featuring Dad as the star. Mixed-media vignettes by Sala (My Dog and I) conjure up whimsical details, warm palettes, and avid characters as Dad, clad in bright yellow pajamas, travels up a tree, into space and underwater, and onto a mouse pirate ship. As lights-out approaches, Dad proves his storytelling mettle, reassuring his child that he'll never run out of words--especially the three most important ones. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4-8. Agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Apr.)