Outside In by Deborah Underwood and Cindy Derby - ADVISABLE

Outside In by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Cindy Derby. PICTURE BOOK Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. $18. 9781328866820 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

When a girl needs to stay inside, she reflects on how outside comes in: She can see through windows or light patches and shadows on the walls and floor; , or sounds from outside like, like chirps and rustles, and the smells. She also notices the things that come from outside, food like berries, and clothes made of cotton and wooden chairs and the feel of our pets; also, the things that come in from outside like bugs and water through the pipes. Outside will still be there when she can go out again. 

I loved Cindy Derby's water color illustrations - a beautiful, timely reminder that outside provides so much peace, color, warmth, and necessities. I don't know if this was written in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is the perfect message for this time.

Lisa Librarian