cover image Donut Give Up! (Punderland)

Donut Give Up! (Punderland)

Rose Rossner, illus. by Vanessa Matte. Sourcebooks Wonderland, $8.99 (24p) ISBN 978-1-72822-286-8

Cheery anthropomorphic donuts, ice cream cones, and other tasty treats cavort through the pun-filled pages of this inspirational, food-centered entry in Rossner’s Punderland series. On each spread of the board book, bright-hued art by Matte shows an adult-child comestible pair interacting (an older sandwich cookie, for example, assists a chocolate chip youth on the playground) as a text couplet serves up a confidence boost (“You’re a tough little COOKIE. Nothing stands in your way!”). Food words take the spotlight throughout, set off in a brightly colored uppercase font. Though one page mismatches art and text, picturing a twist cone while declaiming “the inside SCOOP,” the cast of playful personalities—including hula-hooping peanuts—holds appeal across these cheerful helpings of punny positivity. Ages up to 3. (Apr.)