Outside

PreS-Gr 2—As an unnamed boy steps outside into the winter snow, he discovers a fantastical playground for his imagination to run rampant. He rouses an imaginary snow friend, a castle, and even a dragon that takes flight across the wintery pages. The brief text has a pleasant simplicity that rambles with a tempered pace while focusing attention on the more weighty and inspiring pictures. Often occurring within sentences, the page turns feel a bit choppy but don't distract too much from the imaginative narrative, inscribed with a touch of poetry. Although there is also something slightly disjointed about the story—in particular, a scene where the snow friend is left behind while the protagonist takes off with the dragon, this book is a solid purchase. The oil-paint illustrations have a likable levity, such as in the boy's slack expression of boredom as he steps backward into the snow, his brother having refused to come out and play. Gill's use of color highlights the boy's red coat, the soft greens of the house, and the golden orange of the dragon, and maintains a lively air despite the soft browns and icy blue shades mixed into the austere landscape. Complete with a nod or two to Ezra Jack Keats's classic The Snowy Day, Outside is a fun opportunity to take a leap of the imagination into softly rendered wintery pages and settle into the wonderland of the outside world.—Erin Reilly-Sanders, Ohio State University, Columbus