In

By Nikki McClure

I only want to stay in. In my pajamas. Inside. In. In. In. For a boy and his toy giraffe, today is the perfect day to stay in. Snug in his pajamas, he reads books, bakes popovers, and plays with a big wicker basket—that he transforms into a rocket ship to fly in “innerspace.” But soon, the outdoors is too tempting to resist, and he takes his wild imagination into nature. That is, until it’s time to come inside again. Illustrated with the gorgeous paper cuts for which Nikki McClure is known, In reminds us of the essential childhood pleasures found in an engaged day of imaginative play and exploration, without electronics, scheduled activities, or adults.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9781613127353

Book preview

Reviews for In

[amandabock-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Is this the year for black, white, and yellow picture books? I love the text, with its rhythms, opposites, occasional puns, and satisfying circular journey. I could see this as a Geisel honor with its simple, repetitive text, if "marmalade" isn't too difficult. The woodblock prints are bold and dynamic with small details to look for throughout. I would gladly frame and hang a print of "I'll look out from branches." on my wall. I did find the author's note about owls to be bizarre; it makes too much of one detail and is not sufficiently separate from the main text. That gate page, though, is one even a librarian can love.

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Read on March 26, 2015I picked this one up because of the contrasting black, white, and yellow cover. However, I found it really annoying to read out loud and wasn't crazy about the illustrations. Did anyone else find the owls at the end to be completely random? I'm pretty sure the author could come up with something that called for the inclusion of owls instead of just saying, "hey, I like owls, let me draw some more for you.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A lovely celebration of a child's imagination.