WE WERE TIRED OF LIVING IN A HOUSE

A 30-year-old text, previously illustrated by Doris Burn, loses nothing to age and is enlivened by the brisk contemporary palette Cepeda chooses. Skorpen’s small questers find grace notes and pitfalls on their circuit from home to adventure and home again. Their first alternative to conventional housing is a tree, where they enjoy the breeze and the colors and the birdsong, but then they tumble off the branches. A pond comes next, and its delights are dampened when the three sink along with their raft. The cave has bears as well as cool green moss and possibilities for exploration. Lastly, the seashore, with its castles and warm sand and surfsong—and turning tides. Home again, they find that it looks pretty good, and doubtless full of treasure and frustrations. The brilliant illustrations add a further beckoning note; if the wild looks this good, it’s worth a try. (Picture book. 2-6)