Domino’s Tree House
by Dawn Patitucci; illus. by Francisco Fonseca
Primary    WorthyKids    32 pp.
5/23    9781546002994    $17.99

Domino, playing outdoors on a beautiful day, has a feeling of “not enough.” His discontent leads him to build a tree house, where he lounges and snacks until discontent finds him again. So he builds a tree cottage, then a tree mansion on top of his tree house. Then a tree castle, then skyscraper. Nothing is quite satisfactory, so he builds structure upon structure until he reaches the moon. Fonseca’s illustrations, with delicate lines and crosshatching, have a lovely handcrafted feel. The colors move from earthy greens and browns to brighter yellows and blues as Domino’s structures become more whimsical and far-fetched. Double-page spreads angled from a vantage point above the action provide sweeping ­panoramas that show the heights Domino’s unchecked ­ambition has reached, as well as his increasing isolation as his home, his town, and ­eventually Earth itself recedes and he reaches the moon, cold and dark. ­Realizing that “there was nothing on the moon but moon,” he parachutes back to Earth, where he finds the ­contentment he was looking for in the cool grass and gentle breezes of his own backyard. Playful and ­thought-provoking in equal measure.

Pubissue-From the May/June 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.