Druthers by Matt Phelan (review)

It is “raining. And raining. And RAINING,” and bored Penelope slouches over to her dad, who asks her what she’d do if she had her druthers, explaining that “druthers are what you would rather do if you could do anything at all.” Testing the concept, Penelope suggests she’d like to go to the zoo, and to be a cowgirl, and to be a pirate captain, with Dad obligingly diving into each pretend scenario, until finally Daddy and daughter end up in space at “the biggest moon party ever!” Penelope realizes a rainy day of pretend with her daddy is having her druthers, and though that’s a fairly predictable conclusion, the story of a dad and daughter’s day of play is fond and indulgent, with illustrations adding touches of clear-eyed realism in the house’s growing chaos and Dad’s increasing tiredness. Phelan’s ink and watercolor art evinces its familiar brushy informal textures, with the mood transforming effectively from spare gray spreads of gloomy Penelope to scenes of sweep and motion and ever-denser toy population, while the window behind the action documents the slashing rain. The compact square trim size adds to the cozy feel, making this a cuddly choice for sharing with a shut-in youngster on a bleak day—as long as you’re geared up for the imaginative romp it will inspire.