The title of Laura Bontje’s playful picture book is a palindrome sentence that can be read forward or backward. Palindromes are something that Hannah, protagonist of the delightful Was It a Cat I Saw?, loves: As Bontje tells us, “Anything Hannah could do forwards, she could do backwards too.” Hannah likes palindromes so much that she not only sees them everywhere—she also speaks in them.

Hannah is mostly alone in her palindrome-filled world until she meets a boy who has lost his cat. The feline’s name is Otto, of course! As they search their neighborhood for the missing feline, Hannah finds that her new friend appreciates wordplay just as much as she does. After meeting a variety of people and pets along the way, the two do find Otto, but it then turns out they’ve strayed so far from home that they’ve become lost. Never fear, though: Hannah has a trick up her sleeve to get them home safe and sound. (Astute readers may be able to pick up on the clues that reveal Otto’s journey—and the children’s way home.) Once back home, Hannah finds out her new friend’s name, in a final surprise for readers.

Each palindrome word or phrase is bolded, enabling young readers to easily identify them. Illustrator Emma Lidia Squillari’s muted palette includes gentle pinks, greens and yellows, giving the illustrations a traditional, retro feel. While the two main characters are white, there is some diversity presented in the children and families they encounter on their adventure.

Picture books encouraging wordplay make for fun read-alouds for the preschool crowd, and Was It a Cat I Saw? is an excellent choice for either the home or classroom. Even older readers who consider themselves beyond picture books may still be inspired to follow Hannah and start looking for palindromes everywhere they go.

With bold, cartoon-style art by illustrator Hatem Aly and delicious rhyming patterns by Omar Abed, The Book That Almost Rhymed (Dial, $18.99, 9780593406380) will immediately grab the eyes and ears of young readers and their caregivers. This picture book is a pure delight, sure to be a huge success at storytimes and bedtimes alike.

In rollicking iambic couplets, The Book That Almost Rhymed tells the story of a young writer proud to read his work aloud until his sister interrupts to alter every perfectly crafted rhyme. For example, what starts with “She ruined every rhyming verse, / so now my story sounds much—” concludes, thanks to his sister, with “MORE MAGNIFICENT!” Each time, the protagonist bravely soldiers on, adapting to the changes and keeping his cool, while Aly’s illustrations adjust accordingly in eclectic and exciting elements ways.

Despite the complexity of their design and the intricacies of layering digital illustrations, Aly keeps the illustrations visually simple and reminiscent of a child’s drawings. Because the rhymes are so tidy, young readers will easily be able to anticipate most of the originally intended rhyming words, which makes it even more fun when the page turns and the sister’s unexpected alterations arrive. Near the end, as the siblings prepare to face their biggest foe yet, the rhymes build the tension beautifully: “At last! They reached the treasure chest, / but something blocked them from their quest—/ the fiercest beast you could imagine! / A vicious, fire-breathing—” but instead of the expected “dragon,” the page turn reveals a surprise certain to result in peals of laughter.

As clever as every line of this book is, perhaps the most impressive part is how Abed blends the frustrations and responsibilities that come with having a younger sibling with immensely creative wordplay, especially as the ending reveals that the sister’s additions weren’t quite as random as they first seemed. In a perfect combination of pictures and text, the siblings work together to save the day, reminding us all of the power of collaboration and spontaneity.

Cece Bell’s laugh-out-loud-funny Animal Albums From A to Z kicks off with a note about how she loves “finding and acquiring old albums, especially those created by animal musicians.” She then proceeds to present with wholehearted dedication and sincerity her collection of (fictional) animal record albums, starting with an armadillo on an accordion and ending with zebras playing zydeco.

In order from A to Z, the recto of each spread features a brilliantly composed album cover with rich colors, indelible characters and track listings, which offer song titles that alone hint at eccentric and enchanting settings and characters beyond what’s featured in the book. 

Lyrics for one song from each album are printed on the verso, and every set is a world of its own containing vivid characters, bizarre story lines and plenty of humor. There’s the armadillo with an “aromatic armpit”; the dramatic love triangle of Bud, Betty and Brad in the form of a barbershop tune sung by beagles; a “teeny tiny teacup toad”; and much more. It’s fortunate that the lyrics to “Whoa, That Weevil Is Weird,” which tell the story of Miss Tanya, who can juggle two fleas and a pea, make the cut for this collection. Expect giggles: Readers will struggle to keep a straight face during lyrics for songs like “Dare I Suggest a Different Deodorant” by Darryl and the Dodo Devilettes; “Edith’s Ensemble Is So Embarrassing” by Ella Fontaine; and “Our Umpire’s Out with an Ulcer” by Ursula Umbrellabird. 

Bell, who received a Newbery Honor for El Deafo, a graphic novel memoir about her hearing loss, demonstrates here that music is for everyone. She covers a wide range of genres: Western swing, surf music, rockabilly, jazz, folk and lots more. Backmatter includes biographies for each animal artist and a QR code that takes fans to recordings of the songs. Animal Albums, which will surely go down as one of the year’s top picture books, is the best kind of weird and wonderful—from A to Z.

Uma Krishnaswami is an author living in Victoria, British Columbia, while Uma Krishnaswamy is a well-known illustrator in Chennai, India. Their names are not their only similarities: Both have an inventive, inspiring approach that makes potentially complex topics fun, child-friendly and accessible. 

Look! Look! is a companion to the creators’ previous collaboration, Out of the Way! Out of the Way!, in which a boy helps protect a young tree. Their new picture book follows a girl in India whose curiosity sparks a remarkable discovery. In between two dusty fields strewn with garbage, the child notices a gray lump. She calls her friends over to look, and together, the children brush away dirt to uncover large stone slabs. With the help of their families and nearby villagers, the site is cleared, the hole is dug deeper, and eventually a long-forgotten well is revealed. At each step in the process, the simple refrain, “Look, look!” helps punctuate the action and move the story forward. The story comes to fruition when rain arrives, bringing more transformation: “The rain had woken deep, sleeping springs, sending fresh clear water bubbling up into the old well.” 

Krishnaswami’s spare, lyrical text is complemented by Krishnaswamy’s bright, decorative palette of vibrant yellows, greens and earthy ochres. White space is used especially effectively. In one spread, plump gray rain clouds float above a patchwork of fields, while in others, small spot art vignettes provide lots of details to look at and discuss.

The back matter note (unlike many) is written with a child audience in mind. Entitled “The Old Well in This Story,” it explains that the well featured in Look! Look! is one of many ancient wells in India, which are now being rediscovered to help combat increasing drought caused by climate change.

When Debbie Fong took a bus tour with her family at age 8, an illuminated underground waterfall struck her fancy—and ultimately inspired the magical Cessarine Lake central to her wonderful graphic novel debut, Next Stop.

The Ignatz nominee and illustrator of the bestselling How to Be a Person has carefully crafted a contemplative tale that invites readers along on middle schooler Pia Xing’s weeklong summer bus trip across the desert. Her dad meant to come along, but a broken leg strands him at home. No worries, though: Pia’s a smart, trustworthy kid, and the tour guide, Caroline, is a family friend. 

Caroline’s plucky daughter, Sam, immediately befriends Pia, and the other travelers are kind and quirky. They share their hopes for what their visit to Cessarine Lake—known for “mak[ing] IMPOSSIBLE things happen”—will bring them, but Pia can’t bring herself to join the conversation. It’s only been a year since a tragic accident plunged her family into grief, and nine months since they moved to a new town for a fresh start. Pia’s mom blames her for what happened, and Pia’s dad is exhausted by his efforts to console his wife while protecting Pia. Perhaps, she hopes, the lake can help her assuage her family’s pain.

Each day of the trip reveals a new array of cleverly conceived tour-stop wonders, including a chicken-shaped hotel, a cactus petting zoo and a watermelon so huge it casts a shadow over the tour bus. Fong’s illustrations are witty and detailed with a strong eye for color. Sepia-toned flashbacks add context to Pia’s present-day emotions, and vividly kooky set pieces become increasingly peculiar the closer the bus gets to its mystical destination. Might magic be afoot after all?

Next Stop is an immersive, empathetic tale of an important journey that sensitively explores grief and loss even as it celebrates friendship and new experiences. Charming and interesting back matter that reveals more about the author’s creative process and her background (including that childhood bus trip!) nicely rounds out a top-notch reading experience.