Starred Review Using playful text and whimsical art, Stead conjures a thoughtful tale of an old dog considering the possibilities of the outside world. "Will I ever be the dawdle of a penguin? / Will I ever be the waddle of a snail? / Will I ever be the tumble of a bumble bee? / Will I ever be the bumble of a whale?" Employing questions geared to stretch imaginations (and vocabulary), the lilting verses introduce a series of familiar animals. From turtles, bullfrogs, and elephants to buffalo, walruses, hummingbirds, and mice, Stead's creatures exist in a bucolic, colorful world. Many spreads feature white backgrounds, brightly hued collaged figures, and a bevy of colorful birds that flit unmentioned from page to page. Each verse is separated with a colorfully lettered refrain. The scene visible through the titular window evolves throughout the story: at first, rain peppers a gingko tree; later, a rainbow appears; and finally, a whale swims by. The facial expressions on some of the animals hint at additional details not revealed in the text: for example, the fawns appear worried while hiding in the grass, and the elephant seems happiest when he can shelter another creature with his umbrella. This is a text that begs to be read aloud, one-on-one or to a group. Prepare for serious toe-tapping.

Beginning with assonant three-line phrases that start “I’d like to be...,” euphonious prose builds to experiential wishes. Varying between the strictly naturalistic (“Oh, I’d like to be/ the raindrop/ falling on a turtle shell”) and the seemingly fanciful (“I’d like to be/ the welcoming umbrella/ of an elephant”), the whimsical lines feature myriad creatures, including penguins, snails, a walrus, and a wren. The speaker frequently expresses chimerical wishes, using atypical descriptions of animal-centered sounds, homes, or movement (“Will I ever be/ the tumble of a honeybee?// Will I ever be/ the bumble...// ...of a whale?”), and that verbal playfulness extends visually to depictions throughout, including one of a walrus in a rainbow-colored winter cap. The eponymous sentiment that closes gestures toward a timeless and universal hope for being “joyful and free,” embodying the depth of the book’s expressive aesthetic. Ages 3–7. (Apr.)