Now by Antoinette Portis

Today's post is by Elisa Gall. She is the Youth Collection Development Librarian at Deerfield Public Library in Illinois. She can be found on Twitter at @gallbrary. 

Using 41 unique words, and 139 words total, Portis presents a calm story of mindfulness. A first-person narrator walks readers through a list of her favorite things, exemplifying contentment and evoking the senses as she celebrates and soaks in each moment. (Note that while the flap copy and summary describe the protagonist as a girl, and I will use she/her pronouns in this post, the main text does not specify the character’s gender identity.) 

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Now functions successfully as an early reader picture book. The illustrations, with smudgy black outlines and lush digital color, are in balance alongside a healthy amount of white space, setting the stage for the text to shine in a clean, large font. Time passes with each page turn, as shown through changing colors, a red-orange fall leaf, and a missing tooth—proof that the protagonist is growing. Short sentences (five words long) are paired, usually with a stem of “This is my favorite.” The couplets are consistently followed by a longer sentence breaking the pattern, emphasizing WHY that moment is a favorite. (“This is my favorite song / because it’s the one I am singing.”) This pacing contributes to the “page-turning dynamic” for which Geisel committees are often looking. 

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The illustrations support meaning-making for young readers in several ways. Footsteps zig-zagging across a spread stop over two holes before the girl and the text “(this one)” are paired together, reiterating that her favorite hole is the one she’s in. The child’s “favorites” are shown from varying angles. When a breeze (a blue brushstroke) hits the girl, her arms outstretch, her hair flies back, and her mouth curls into a smile. When mud is the subject, her feet are shown close up. Readers look down into open palms (as if they see what the girl sees) as a worm squirms in her hands. A thick yellow swirl of music (matching the girl’s dress) spirals out from her body as she sings her favorite song. 

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When it comes time for her favorite “NOW,” the word appears in the same typeface as the title. This is an appropriate shift, for it is the book’s climax. The character’s hands grip a book featuring a young and old elephant on its pages. After turning the page, readers see the book shared between kid and grown-up. “Now” is the most abstract concept in the book, so it makes sense that the story builds up to this point, this moment of coziness and serenity. 

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In the last image of the book, it is unclear whether child or adult is reading the book aloud. I have not had the chance to read this book with children and collect their responses, but I do predict the repetition, word choice, and supportive illustrations will build their confidence, welcoming re-reads and shared reads along the way. 

Curling up with a good book, spending time together, and being grateful for the moment are clear messages. Will children find this book too nutritious? Will the rhythm and bright artwork keep them turning pages? What will the actual Geisel committee think? We’ll find out when the YMAs are announced in February 2018, but for NOW, I can’t think of a better book to sit and enjoy—preferably with a loved one.