This Is a Moment

Player urges attention to the present moment with spare lines that build on the title, offering definitional descriptions that capture the range of life’s experiences and emotions. Unembellished digital renderings with spongy chromatic coloring lend a narrative aspect to idea-oriented text. In one scene, a child stands before a class (“Each moment is new”); in others, two children play checkers (“There are fast moments”) and one jumps from a cliff into water below (“brave moments”). As the perspective broadens to embrace generational change (“When you were born,/ everything that came before// met somebody new”), the second-person narration notably shifts to first person (“You’re happening right now./ It’s your laughter and how I hear it”). Closing visuals and sentiments come full circle to reinforce the book’s message, centering on a tender but mundane “moment” shared by a caregiver and child. Characters are portrayed with various abilities and skin tones. Ages 5–9. (Mar.)