Up High
by Matt Hunt; illus. by the author
Preschool    Nosy Crow    40 pp.
5/24    9798887771090    $18.99

A blond-haired child narrates their weekly Sunday trip into town with Dad. Hunt follows the child’s point of view throughout the story, leading to some dynamic perspectives in the book’s double-page-spread illustrations. For instance, the pair walks hand in hand until the busyness of town makes the child “feel really small,” dramatically conveyed in the art by imposing, elongated adult figures towering above them. The narrator’s request “to go up high” is followed by a wordless closeup of Dad—with his scruffy beard and big, tattooed arms—settling the child on his shoulders. This elevated viewpoint brings the exciting sensation of feeling big, tall, and able to fly. The duo strolls through a quiet park and then pauses for lunch, and the child, now down from their perch, notices animals: “little things. Tiny things. Things that make me feel like a giant.” A new take on size leads to appreciation of and confidence in who they are (à la the young protagonist in Crews’s I’m Not Small, rev. 3/22). Hunt’s brightly colored illustrations, full of expressive lines and textures, reflect the child’s positive experience. Equally affirming is the love and care on display between father and child—even when interests temporarily diverge (e.g., Dad talks too long to someone, looks at boring hardware). A sweet hug ends this satisfying outing.

From the July/August 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.