Zadie and the Stripey Sock

Sick of being ignored, Zadie, whose father is freckled and red-haired and whose mother is dark-haired and brown-skinned, is set on running away—just as soon as she finds her missing rainbow striped sock. To do so, she goes throughout the house, interrogating each family member in turn—apparent siblings Jack and Maggie, Banjo the dog, then Dad, then Mom. When Mom asks Zadie to take care of baby Sollie, however, Sollie may just inspire Zadie to rethink her decision. Sibling interactions ring true in this picture book, and Nye writes gentle humor into the blocks of text: “ ‘We’ll take only the most important things,’ Zadie told Archibald the Bear. So she packed her diary, a piece of toast, her soccer trophy, and her snorkel.” Richly multitextured mixed-media cut-paper collage evokes stained glass art in a perennial story that sympathetically explores family dynamics. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)