The Upside Down Girl

A child literally flips convention on its head in this tightly paced picture book from Negley (The Running Machine). Leaping right to the heart of the premise, early pages reveal a pale-skinned, red-haired protagonist climbing into a tree, then hanging upside down by her knees from a branch. Despite mounting pressure from a chorus of townsfolk—who, one by one, deem the pose unprofitable, unladylike, unproductive, and unsafe—the heroine remains inverted with no explanation. Then, in a spread that breaks from the more theatrically stylized, onlooker-focused compositions, readers are clued in: a marvelous worm’s-eye view shows the youth in a state of deep-breathing bliss, surrounded by a fireworks-like display of multicolored foliage (“Her upside down ears listened to the leaves rustling in the wind. She felt the warm sun on her upside down skin”). Bold colors, simplified shapes, and subtle textures lend a retro feel, while the message—delivered via a surprising punch line—feels thoroughly of the moment: in an optimization-obsessed culture, finding balance may mean opting for the topsy-turvy. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (May)