Zoe Gets Ready

PreS-Gr 2—Zoe is definitely an imaginative girl who gets ready for her day by deciding if it's to be a twirling day, an exploring day, a cartwheeling day, or a touch-the-sky day before she can put together an appropriate outfit. As one might expect, this is maddeningly time-consuming for her mama. The sweet watercolors of author/illustrator Bethanie Deeney Murguia's picture books (S. & S.) are animated simply, and the accompanying music fits each story perfectly. Piano keyboard and whistling establish Zoe's curiosity, African drums help transform a playground into a jungle, and, in Zoe's Room, her nighttime adventures are set to a gentle tune punctuated by the sound of thunder. Old and young will recognize themselves in this story in which Zoe must learn to live with a new "roommate," her baby sister, who cramps her style. "I believe Dexter [the dog] has better manners," muses Zoe about her younger sibling. The exuberant Zoe solves her problems and gets out of dilemmas using her creativity. Adults will appreciate the rich vocabulary, with words such as stealthy, relentless, lair, ingenuity, and unfathomable.