Tomorrow Most Likely, written by Dave Eggers and illustrated by Lane Smith. Chronicle, Raincoast. 2019. $23.99 ages 2 and up

"Tomorrow most likely

you'll see something strange.

You'll hear something odd.

You'll touch something gooey.

You'll meet Cousin Todd.

You might ride a whale."

We know from Lane Smith's quiet and soothing title page that the young boy we will be watching throughout the course of this book is in bed, smiling and listening to a parent. The conversation proves to be promising and uplifting. It begins with what tomorrow 'most likely' will bring to the child's life.

"...
there will be a sky.
And chances are it will be blue."

True enough. They are playful assumptions. As they are made, Lane Smith provides visual context for the statements. We watch as the boy awakens in the morning to his usual breakfast, then makes his way into the outside world. There he finds people, traffic, music, a plane in the sky. Those sights are spoken in rhyme ... until 'something won't rhyme'. There is no word for the creature found at the end of a long walk through town, with only its striped and snake-like body as a clue to follow. Their meeting causes no concern for the young boy.

On he goes. There are so many new and delightful discoveries to be made.

"You might ride a whale.
You could eat a cloud.
You might write a song
and sing it too loud."

Kids will like the 'tomorrow most likely' repetitive phrase as it provides a sense of expectation for  interesting scenarios. Parents like to spend time with children before bed thinking back on the events of the day that has passed. Dave Eggers turns the conversation to the many amazing possibilities when night is done. Although some parts will be the same, there is much to discover in each new day.

The child's stroll through an urban landscape is created by the exceptional Lane Smith, using oil paint, pen and ink, paper collage, and digital work. The constantly changing perspectives, the variation in spreads and sequenced panels, the fabulous textures, as well as the visual context given to each imagined scene are a perfect complement to the often humorous text.

Read it once, then read it again. There is much to discover in text and art, and you don't want to miss anything.