A Sound in the Night

A camping getaway for a human and pet pooch becomes a tale of found family in this winsome, largely wordless story. Via colored pencil and grease pencil, Coco renders the figures as blue outlines punctuated with orange, pink, and yellow against crisp white backgrounds. Following an action-packed day in the woods, night falls, the background turns deep blue, and the two settle into their tent under a starry, moonlit sky. Then a mysterious, repeating “CRACK” pierces the night, accompanied by a menacing shadow. Summoning their courage, the pair discover a small cat outside their tent. With a nonstop wag and smile, the dog eagerly assents to the feline joining in, and the impromptu playdate turns into a permanent bond. It’s a spare work of pure visual joy wrapped up in fur and friendship. The human protagonist’s skin tone largely echoes each spread’s background color. Ages 2–4. (Oct.)