Watermark Books and Cafe

This simple little book is pure preschool imagination fuel. Its first pastel page introduces us to a bright blue egg, just cracking open: 

"An egg is not a baby bird, but it will become one EXCEPT IF...," and you see the anticipation in young eyes as the page is turned, "it becomes a baby SNAKE."

As a head wriggles free, we expect slithering to follow, "EXCEPT IF… it is a baby LIZARD," and pink legs come into view with another page.

Twist follows twist as words and pictures reveal our lizard is a DINOSAUR that ages into a FOSSIL that's part of a CLIFF that harbors a NEST that nestles an EGG that will hatch into another dinosaur, EXCEPT IF... it's a baby BIRD.

The fun here lies in cleverly cagey pictures that suggest one possibility per page while inviting youngsters to rev up their brain engines and imagine others. What will come next? What will the surprise be? Can you guess--or even make up your own stories? "Except If" is a perfect book for igniting imagination and creative thinking. Like an egg, it's simple--but full of possibilities!

Review by Mark David Bradshaw