Sixteen Games of Hide and Seek
Written by Stephen Barr and Illustrated by Steve Teare
★"A classic childhood game gets its flowers in an empathetic and joyful depiction of father-son play.
. . . The game’s constant need for reinvention keeps things thrilling. . . . Barr and Teare masterfully evoke the tension many children feel between wanting to hide but needing to be found; they convey both Ro’s vulnerability and emotional security. Teare’s loose and playful portraiture emphasizes the wholesome theatricality of these romps. Soft-edged, multimedia artwork depicts the four-member family with skin the candy colors of the page, and limited dialogue pops in vivid speech bubbles. This compassionate gem has the heft of William Steig couched in gentle humor, with quick potential to become part of the kid lit canon. Look no further—you found a real winner." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
★"Ro’s conversational narration easily moves through his many emotions. . . . Barr’s straightforward text nicely captures a childlike tone and touches on elements that will surely be familiar to parents and kids. . . . Teare’s artwork perfectly accentuates the emotional beats with thoughtful use of color. . . . With charming thoughtfulness and a solid grasp of children’s emotional reality, Barr and Teare give a ubiquitous game of surprising, delightful depth." —Booklist, Starred Review
"Spin[s] the childhood ritual of playing hide-and-seek into a wholly original work that captures the game’s underlying anxieties and giddy joys. . . . [B]alances accessibility with artistry: loose, energetic brushstrokes and a limited palette evoke both comedy and anxiety, while comics-style speech bubbles act as visual anchors as the moments drag on. This thoughtfully built story knows the game’s tensions—the thrill of vanishing and the comfort of being sought, the pride of independence and the reassurance of rescue—and gently affirms that needing both is exactly right." —Publishers Weekly