Where the Deer Slip Through
by Katey Howes; illus. by Beth Krommes
Preschool, Primary    Beach Lane/Simon    32 pp.
6/25    9781665918275    $19.99
e-book ed.  9781665918282    $10.99

From sunrise to moonrise, a welcoming, cumulative narrative leads readers through a day on a farm. The opening illustration features a cozy, rolling landscape, where a stone wall and a “hedge that grew and grew” surround the farm; these “guard the yard. / The barn does, too.” As the story and the day unfold, various creatures—deer, rabbits, lizards—quietly enter the yard one by one through a gap in the wall. Playful repetition brings attention to the animals, making them the true stars of the story. Humans are seen but are secondary, emphasizing the wild world around the farm. The late Howes’s beautifully rendered descriptions of the natural world come to life through Krommes’s signature scratchboard illustrations in a warm, earthy palette; they add a unique depth to each spread. Toward the end, an indoor bedtime scene compares life outside the window with a peaceful end to a child’s day, offering a comforting conclusion.

From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.