Playtime in the park reaches enormous levels of fun. Eyes covered, a tan-skinned child counts to 10, thus starting an epic game of hide-and-seek in search of an elusive giant. Roaming a bustling, picturesque park, the youngster slides down boulders and climbs to the top of trees but has no luck. With determination and some reflection, though, the child eventually finds the giant in the most unexpected of places. This is a lovely look at the importance of imaginative play and our grounding connection to the natural world. Originally published in Belgium and the Netherlands and translated from Dutch, Prince’s first-person text speaks to the everyday joys of childhood, ones that can’t be found in screens or devices. (“The wind picks up again. The leaves around me are dancing. The tree begins to sway gently. Wee, what fun!”). De Hae’s playful, watercolorlike illustrations depict a setting that’s simultaneously cozy and vast through creative use of perspective and warm purple, green, and yellow tones. Perceptive readers will delight in catching all of the sneak peeks of the cagey colossus, whose complexion takes on the same hue as the surrounding landscape. Simultaneously soothing and invigorating—a paean to childhood creativity.

– Kirkus Reviews