Mudkin by Stephen Gammell

Playing outside after the rain can be one. That's where one girl encounters Mudkin, and before she knows it, Mudkin has asked her to be the Queen! In the blink of an eye she has a mud cloak, a mud carriage, a mud castle, and more. But does this adventure have the power to last?

Continuing in the tradition of picture book characters that I would love to see marketed as toys, I think Mudkin would be a great stuffed animal. Looking like a cross between a turnip and a Kewpie doll, it's easy for me to see how this little imp captures the girl's imagination. And really, that's what this book is: a celebration of the imagination. The design plays cleverly with the idea of mud (the author's bio has some parts smeared out) while never feeling gimmicky. The wordless pictures provide a chance for kids to use their own imaginations to tell the story. A great pick for kids in that muddy season between winter and spring.

Find it at Amazon.

I read an advanced copy through NetGalley.

Read it with:
Twigboy by Stephen Gammell
Shadow by Suzy Lee
Mud Puddle by Robert Munsch