What Could It Be?

K-Gr 2—A little boy and his mother follow a cumulative format of sharing that is based on the boy's imagination. In What Could It Be?? he tries to guess what's in a gift-wrapped box. By the end of the story, he comes up with a game, a doll, a magician's set, and dress-up clothes. When he opens it, he finds all sorts of arts-and-crafts materials: a surefire way of using his imagination. In What Will I Be??, the child plays hide-and-seek with his mother. When she finds him right away, he pretends that he will become a pilot, a magician, a chef, and more, but she devises a quick solution to how she will find him. Finally, the boy realizes that his mother will always be there when he needs her. The objects and occupations he tries on are highlighted in different fonts, and the illustrations are large, clear, and colorful. The characters are from India; the woman wears a sari and has a bindi. While these books could spark imaginative play, the ideas have been recycled many times in picture books.—Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City