Strollercoaster
by Matt Ringler; illus. by Raúl the Third and Elaine Bay
Preschool    Little, Brown    32 pp.    g
6/21    978-0-316-49322-2    $17.99

Preschooler Sam needs a nap. “The inside feels too small” for her, and she throws a tantrum. There’s only one solution: her father swings her up into the air and declares, “It’s time to take a ride on the strollercoaster!” Off they zip on a thrilling adventure — up and down the steep roads, bridges, and sidewalks of their neighborhood (“Sam feels like she’s flying!!”) — the girl nestled snugly in her stroller. The dynamic, remarkably kinetic illustrations feature occasional comic book–style panels; speech balloons; bouncy, roller-coaster-esque onomatopoeia (“click clack”; “squeak”); some hand-drawn, oversized fonts; and a heaping dose of visual hyperbole. At one point, for instance, father and daughter zoom up the side of a brick wall. The vivid colors — starting with the fiery oranges and reds of Sam’s angry mood — perfectly convey emotional subtext. Spreads are filled with eye-catching details that reflect the pair’s bilingual community: “TIRED?” reads the side of a building, with “ESTOY CANSADA” under it. After flying through a tunnel on a striking black double-page spread colored in glowing lines, Sam succumbs to sleep — and then both father and daughter end up napping back at home. Preschoolers will identify with Sam’s initial over-exhaustion and may find catharsis in her true-to-life display of anger. An exhilarating trip that viewers will want to take repeatedly.

From the July/August 2021 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.