As a child, I spent hours and hours in our family swimming pool pretending to be a mermaid, undertaking “Jacques Cousteau missions”, and embarking on deep-sea treasure hunts. Sometimes, I would hold myself still underwater and simply enjoy the quiet. Our girls can both now swim underwater on their own (a recent development) and I am already seeing their imaginations explode with the possibilities.

Pool, by JiHyeon Lee, delves into the very same possibilities, seemingly dormant in the minds of children, waiting to unfold with exposure to water. Water swirls with mystery and an encounter between two, accidental explorers at an overcrowded public pool opens the door to some of the most amazing, wordless illustrations I’ve seen in a picture book.