K-Gr 3 —Creativity, imagination, and humor run wild in this story of a young protagonist thwarted by his younger sister. Despite his every effort to write a story filled with knights and treasure, she barges in, spoiling his perfect rhymes at each page turn, and pitching the story in one silly direction after the other. Frustrated at first to be sent into outer space, dropped onto a ship full of dancing pirates, and attacked by a fire-breathing armadillo, he begins to realize her contributions actually do have a rhyme and reason. In an if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them turn, he rolls with her creativity, and they embark together on a new adventure. This is clearly Interrupting Chicken meets Harold and the Purple Crayon . Aly's illustrations are vibrant and full of the action and energy relayed in the text. VERDICT Funny and wildly unpredictable, this will be a read-aloud hit. Recommended for all picture book collections.—Jennifer Noonan

Abed’s rhyming prowess propels this sprightly picture book that follows two siblings jointly composing an adventure. Employing simple couplets, a tan-skinned youth sets the scene: “The other day I wrote this book./ You won’t believe how long it took.” Enter brown-skinned sis, who disrupts the lines with jarring concluding phrases (“She ruined every rhyming verse,/ so now my story sounds much—// MORE MAGNIFICENT!”). The narrator persists in trying to craft the conventional tale of a knight’s daring search for treasure, but plot twists abound as the sister’s alternatives insert a rocket, dancing pirates, and a fire-breathing armadillo. Just as the conceit seems clear, the suggestions become workable rhymes, and the siblings at last find a collaborative scheme. Aly’s energetic digital renderings lean on graphics and sketched overlays to capture the duo’s narrative exploits. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)