Lawn-Mowing Day! (Little Landscapers #1)

Three critters exuberantly undertake yard work in this busy board book, a series kickoff by Carzoo (The Squish). To open, a skunk, fox, and raccoon appear behind long grass that nearly covers their heads, then burst through the emerald blades exclaiming “it’s.../ LAWN-MOWING DAY!” Each adopts a different kind of mower—reel, push, and rideable tractor—and with a “snip,” “rumble,” and “vroom,” ensuing concept-driven pages present the animals approaching their work geometrically (“Let’s make lines!... Let’s make circles!”). Action-oriented descriptive text (they “push and pull” while making a diamond pattern) accompanies first-person plural narration, while cut paper techniques give blooming landscapes (and resident pollinators) a crisp depth that allows the googly-eyed, jauntily attired protagonists to really pop against the textured grass. When the job’s complete, the rhythm slows and a starry hammock snooze and sprinkler-fueled frolic suggest time passing—and, invariably, grass growing—bringing the events full circle in a book about warm-weather rhythms. All ages. Agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary. (Mar.)