YES, NO, MAYBE SO

Addressing the recently-out-of-diapers set, Harper suggests choices good, bad, and promisingly mischievous in trios of scenes featuring minimal texts and a pair of very simply drawn monkey sibs. Though most of the options are no-brainers—Drink: From cups? Yes. From a fishbowl? No. From a sprinkler? Maybe So!—several, particularly of the Maybe-Sos, will require some discussion; it’s not always a good idea to stomp in puddles, for instance, or to push someone into a pile of leaves. Still, the settings and situations should be familiar even to very young children, the one-phrase captions are within reach of emergent readers, and the concept is explored with giggle-inducing humor. A definite Maybe So. (Picture book. 3-5)