If I Lived in the Sky

Rajunov’s soaring story spotlights a creaturely “guy who lives on the ground” and ponders what it would be like to live in the sky. Following musings on terrestrial life (“I hate it here”), assonant lines contemplate how taking up residence above could provide an alternate view. When an unexpected avian encounter results in a joyous connection, the event reveals the bearlike protagonist’s loneliness, leading to heartbreak—and the possibility of ground-level community. Displaying acrylic gouache, pastel, and colored pencil techniques, soft and dreamy illustrations evoke the subject’s interactions in warm hues and solitude in cool tones. Leaning into a bloom-where-you’re-planted ending, the tranquil-feeling book’s take on emotional ups and downs provides inspiration for a life lived contentedly. Ages 4–8. (June)