Sixteen Games of Hide and Seek

Barr (The Upside Down Hat) and Teare, making a picture book debut, spin the childhood ritual of playing hide-and-seek into a wholly original work that captures the game’s underlying anxieties and giddy joys. After tucking into a number of easily sought-out hiding spots, young Ro finds a perfect nook just as a thunderstorm rolls in, and the game soon transforms from the frustration of being too quickly found to the fear of full-on abandonment. Digitally finished multimedia artwork balances accessibility with artistry: loose, energetic brushstrokes and a limited palette evoke both comedy and anxiety, while comics-style speech bubbles act as visual anchors as the moments drag on. This thoughtfully built story knows the game’s tensions—the thrill of vanishing and the comfort of being sought, the pride of independence and the reassurance of rescue—and gently affirms that needing both is exactly right. Shifting character skin tones frequently echo the pages’ background colors. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Heirloom Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary. (May)