Echo
by Adam Rex; illus. by the author
Primary    Dial    48 pp.
3/25    9780593699324    $19.99
e-book ed.  9780593699331    $10.99

Junior Junior, a young boy with blond hair and ruddy cheeks, lives on a rugged mountainside. He enjoys shouting self-affirming songs into the valley and hearing “Junior Junior is the greatest in the world!” echoed back by his only friend, an agreeable, unseen boy who lives across the valley. An unflappable girl named Sandy moves in next door and tells Junior to stop shouting; he is dismayed by the newcomer’s lack of interest in his brilliant chants. Salvaging his pride, Junior boasts that one day he will travel to the brightest star in the night sky. Sandy matter-of-factly states that his “star” is actually a planet, specifically Mars. Skeptical Junior expects Sandy to apologize for her inaccuracy, but she remains resolute: “There’s nothing wrong with being wrong…I admit it when I am.” Humiliated, Junior resolves to run away to be with the boy across the valley. But spending time with his echo is less rewarding than Junior anticipated. Rex’s (On Account of the Gum, rev. 1/21) digitally painted illustrations incorporate dramatic speech bubbles and command light and shadow to create a moody atmosphere, a reflection of Junior’s temperament. Rex smartly avoids didacticism in favor of employing humor to highlight the social skills of respectful disagreement and admitting when you’re wrong, making Junior’s plight both pertinent to our time and timeless.

From the March/April 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.