ESCOFFIER, Michaël. Have You Seen My Trumpet? illus. by Kris Di Giacomo. 48p. Enchanted Lion. Oct. 2016. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781592702015.

K-Gr 2 –In this third story in a “wordplay trilogy,” the charming team of Escoffier and Di Giacomo (Take Away the A and Where’s the Baboon?) transport readers to a brilliant sunny day at the beach. A series of questions with clues hidden within both text and illustrations create a sense of playful interaction for young and older audiences. Each spread contains one question in black text, with the answer to the query highlighted in red. For example, in “Who loves guacamole?” the word mole stands out in a vivid contrasting red. Meanwhile, an adorable mole in a striped bathing suit wraps his stocky arms around an immense avocado, hearts bursting above his head. Although other characters appear on the page, the textual and visual clues clearly suggest that the mole is the guacamole lover. While the animals provide answers through their antics, their faces add great expression and humor to the overall story. There’s a selfish fish whose “I (heart) me” shirt clearly proclaims his values, and a disgruntled fly gruffly shouts out orders while his many limbs wave angrily, one clutching a whistle. Each seamlessly inhabits the ocean environment’s muted palette, which features the recurring character of a young girl and her oft-repeated question, “Have you seen my Trumpet?” Her query and the setting connect the creative wordplay together until she at last finds the pet hidden in plain sight. VERDICT A stellar first purchase for all libraries, this delightful picture book emphasizes the clever play inherent in language and is a natural choice for storytime.–Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI

This review was published in the School Library Journal November 2016 issue.