Land of Or

Newcomers Mullaly and Allen imagine the decision-making process as a journey through a landscape of red canyons, with the options that present themselves cast as an assortment of animal-like creatures. The trip isn’t a short one, and readers may find it tricky to unpack Mullaly’s metaphors and repetitive rhymes (“So in order to fit through this Gulley of Others,/ Let go of the picks that are bad for another./ As we travel on into this tight canyon slot,/ The effect of each choice has been given much thought”). Allen’s illustrations are more successful—he brings a playfulness and grace to the book’s appealing cast of personified options, which have antlers, wings, and other animal-like features that give them the feeling of sprites or minor deities; none of them, however, except for the excuse-making “Yabbut,” gets a name or personality to match. It’s a well-intentioned but muddled exploration of the art of making choices—readers are more likely to lose themselves in Allen’s craggy canyons and desert skies than find tactics applicable to real-life quandaries. Ages 5–10. (BookLife)