The Runaway Shirt

PreS-K–Few things are as irresistible to a toddler as a pile of clean clothes. A small child dressed in an oversized shirt sneaks into the laundry basket and mischievously waits for the mother to notice. After folding “a towel, a pair of pants, and some underwear” she decides she will “fold this shirt next,” scooping up her giggling offspring. “First one sleeve, then the other. Then I fold it in half” she says, but the laughing “shirt” escapes and will not stay put on the bed, in the drawer, or in the closet, scattering everything in the process. Finally, “wearing” (lovingly hugging) the wayward garment and its occupant stops the merry chase, and the pair begin folding a towel together. Castaño’s vivacious yet soothingly earth-toned illustrations with bold graphic patterns bring out the humor in MacMillan’s text, providing droll contrast to the seemingly straightforward narration.