Anything with You

It’s a beautiful fall day, and one mouse pulls another into the outdoors. As the friends explore the forest—discovering a lizard beneath a rock, walking along a golden-hued allée—Mylie (Something for You) chronicles their adventures through idyllic, generously detailed landscape spreads and snapshot-like insets that zoom in on moments of discovery. Bits of narration articulate the emotional significance of the otherwise wordless vignettes: in one series of images, the narration notes, “with you, there’s always a way,” as the mice bravely scale a huge tree and retrieve a stolen acorn cap. One mouse is a little more timid than the other, and crossing a stream (a rock turns out to be a turtle, albeit a friendly one) and traveling through a dark tunnel of insect-filled tree roots cause trepidation. But the two complement each other well (“With you, I always feel better”), supporting one another’s pretend play and feelings, and curling up together by a potbelly stove at day’s end. It’s a lovely affirmation of how a close friendship can make one feel cozy and safe, even—especially—in a big world. Ages 3–6. Agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Nov.)