Blackout

This adaptation of author and illustrator John Rocco's 2011 picture book—which won acclaim as a Caldecott Honor Book and Best Book of the Year for Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews—features a rousing salsa-ish soundtrack by David Mansfield. Narrated by Oscar-nominee Stanley Tucci, the almost-luminously animated Blackout focuses on a young boy and his family in a city apartment on a hot summer night. Everyone is too busy talking on the phone, cooking, etc., to play a board game, so the protagonist turns to video games…until “the lights…went…out…all of them.” Watching the household bond not only with each other (as they gather flashlights and candles for shadow puppets) but also with their neighbors (everyone congregates to appreciate a music and ice-cream filled block party lit by the stars) is a heartwarming treat. Extras include read-along subtitles, and an interview with Rocco (also known for his work on the Percy Jackson & the Olympians covers). Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)