Pom and Pim

This short and sweet tale is actually a version of the old “fortunately... unfortunately” setup, which has seen recent iterations in books like Jeff Mack’s Good News, Bad News and Michael Foreman’s Fortunately, Unfortunately. Pom is enveloped in a nubbly sweater, and his friend Pim is a soft toy with dangly legs and arms. As the two head out for a walk, the Landströms let the pictures tell most of the story. “It’s warm. The sun is shining. “What luck!” A rock lies in Pom’s path, and a piece of paper lies just beyond it. A page turn reveals the inevitable: Pom trips over the rock: “Ouch! Bad luck.” But there’s a face and a number on the piece of paper: “Money! What luck!” Good and bad luck follow in turn with one or two words per spread on the small, creamy pages. As simple as Olof Landström’s drawings are, Pom is a believable and engaging child (especially when he gives Pim a taste of his ice cream cone by shoving it lovingly into his face), and the tale unfolds at a brisk clip. Ages 1–up. (Apr.)