Climb On!

It’s a beautiful morning, and even though Dad just wants to watch futbol, his full-of-energy daughter reminds him that he promised to go on a hike with her. “Annou ale! Off we go!” to the “tippy top” of their lush Caribbean island. The adventurous duo encourages each other in Creole, and the accompanying English text makes for easy reading, as does its spacious, verse-like placement amid the rich, full-bleed illustrations. The hike is more challenging than either one expected–“Mouté! Climb on!”–until finally, they make it to the top, from which they can see their whole town and the sea beyond. If only someone had brought a camera! Oh, well. “Chonjé. Remember.” Fans of the creators’ previous, lively, futbol-centered collaboration, The Field (rev. 5⁄18), will cheer this very welcome addition, but this book also easily stands on its own. The endpapers encourage readers to go back through the book to find a variety of creatures hidden on the pages.– “The Horn Book”

The colorful illustrations work well on many levels…Paul and Alcántara…now lead viewers on a memorable excursion, captured in this vibrant picture book. - STARRED REVIEW– “Booklist”

Baptiste Paul is a children’s picture book author. His first book, The Field, received 3 starred reviews and won the Sonia Lynn Sadler Award, was a Junior Library Guild selection, and also appeared on the Horn Book Fanfare Best of 2018, the School Library Journal Best of 2018, and the CCBC 2018 Choices lists. Kirkus Reviews calls his book, Peace (2021), “A visually splendid primer on peace.” Baptiste loves sports, likes to roast his own coffee, and grills. He lives in Wisconsin with his family.

Jacqueline Alcántara is a children’s picture book illustrator. Her debut picture book, The Field, written by Baptiste Paul, received 3 starred reviews and won the Sonia Lynn Sadler Award, was a Junior Library Guild selection, and also appeared on the Horn Book Fanfare Best of 2018, the School Library Journal Best of 2018, and the CCBC 2018 Choices lists. Jacqueline’s favorite days are spent drawing, painting, writing, and walking her dog. She lives in Chicago.