July 5, 2021
This wonderfully illustrated fable about the consequences of greed opens as a group of insects spy a mysterious object lying in the grass, which “fell from the sky on a Thursday.” Readers see that it’s a sumptuously hued glass marble, but the insects, several of which sport dapper hats, are baffled. “It is not of earthly origins,” says wise Grasshopper. A large, bold spider with four eyes and a bow tie appropriates the marble as the centerpiece of an outdoor amusement venue, charging admission and jacking up the price to earn piles of leaf currency—until customers stop coming. Largely black-and-white spreads by the Fan Brothers (The Antlered Ship), rendered digitally and in graphite, offer mesmerizing crispness and definition. The varied textures captured, from delicate dandelion heads to the glow of fireflies and the glossy reflective surface of the marble itself, give readers an entrée into the insects’ miniature world, and the sense that they are privy to its secrets and movements as the insects learn how to make wonder available to all. Ages 4–8. Agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency.