cover image Get Dressed!

Get Dressed!

Seymour Chwast. Abrams Appleseed, $12.95 (18p) ISBN 978-1-4197-0107-8

The dress-up theme of this tall-format interactive book from graphic designer Chwast is introduced by a gatefold cover that looks like (and opens like) a man’s suit jacket. For a boy and girl just waking up, there’s a whole world to explore, but only if they “Get up and... get dressed!” Each spread contains a page-size flap featuring the clothing needed for a particular activity, but it’s clear from the outset that these aren’t ordinary activities or outfits. A long-sleeved shirt, funnel, soup pot and lid, and feather gird the boy’s loins when it’s time to “Get dressed to read about dragons,” while high-heeled shoes, a dress made of envelopes, boxer shorts, and boots help both siblings “Get dressed to sing.” With irreverent details in each of Chwast’s chalk-outlined illustrations, including a recurring penguin character, it’s an entertainingly off-kilter exploration of getting dressed. Ages 2–6. Agent: Jackie Meyer, Whimsy Literary Agency. (Apr.)