Banana

What happens when a single father’s obsession comes between him and his child? In a metaphorical picture book by Abbott (Pig and Horse and the Something Scary), the item is a growing oblong fruit. As the pages open, the white-presenting parent and child share wonderful times. After a swim at the pool, “I do Dad’s hair. Then he makes me into a burrito.” Loose pencil drawings and risograph printing tinted in reds, yellows, and blues give the pages a handcrafted feel. When the two stop at a banana store one day and Dad “cannot resist” a purchase, things are good for a while: “We take the Banana everywhere,” the child says, as the two are shown feeding it a sandwich. But as the banana balloons to alarming proportions, Dad’s attention is consumed by it. At the pool, it looms on the deck chair, physically separating the duo. It’s time for decisive action, and the youth’s next move is both simple and final. It’s a visually striking allegory about the dismay and jealousy a child may feel over change—and this young protagonist’s triumph gives the tale a sense of dark, unexpected gratification. Ages 3–7. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Mar.)