Adventure Awaits

“Adventure awaits” canine and feline fans alike in this brief, exhilarating board book about two pets’ suburban explorations. Cole adeptly communicates action with single-word narration as a gray dog awakens (“sunrise”) and mirrors the yogic pose of the orange tabby on the facing page (“stretch”), before the two venture out to separately “explore/ examine// inspect/ investigate.” Common backyard inhabitants, including a blue jay and squirrel, provide cause for investigation, and when an owl’s yellow eyes peer out from a tree trunk, curiosity gives way to a chance to “run!// race!” Safe at what turns out to be a shared home, the four-legged companions’ snuggly camaraderie is on full display in a series of bird’s-eye-view vignettes. Cole’s attention to shadows adds texture to otherwise uncluttered scenes of the duo relishing an energetic outing’s discoveries. All ages. (May)