cover image In the Waves

In the Waves

Lennon and Maisy Stella, illus. by Steve Bj%C3%B6rkman. Harper, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-235939-1

The Stella sisters, who have been riding a popularity wave via their YouTube music videos and their roles on the TV series Nashville, bring the lyrics of their first original song to picture book form. In appropriately sunny mixed-media illustrations, Bj%C3%B6rkman (Dirt on My Shirt) shows the girls gearing up for a trip to the beach as their mother hurries them along from her desk. Their idea of sisterly fun is encapsulated in the song's refrain, "In the waves, in the water/ In the waves, in the water/ Just use your imagination/ You can have a dream vacation" and in scenes of a day spent splashing with fish and building sandcastles. The full meaning of that refrain comes through in the final pages, where it's revealed that the girls are actually playing around in "the bubbly-wubbly bubble bath." Light, lively fun for the authors' fans, who can enjoy included photos of the Stellas and their family, as well as listen to the song online. Ages 4%E2%80%938. Authors' agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. (Apr.)