Out of Nowhere

PreS-K—In this gentle story about the value of friendship, a red caterpillar becomes a surprising companion to a beetle. They spend many idyllic days together, until the caterpillar suddenly disappears. Spotting something red in the distance, the beetle embarks on an ambitious trek to find their friend. The quest proves fruitless until the caterpillar—now transformed into a butterfly—finds the beetle instead. Happily, they resume their comforting daily routine. Large scale black-and-white pencil illustrations with pops of red are visually striking, and the straightforward prose makes for an appealing read-aloud. The story deftly conveys affirming themes of caring and acceptance, as the beetle loves the caterpillar/butterfly unconditionally. Too, the beetle's journey opens the door to valuable discussions about emotions, relationships, and how to react to change. VERDICT Comforting and emotionally resonant with a great deal of charm, this is a first purchase for picture book collections.—Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Lib., CA

Against simple yet striking grayscale landscapes, Naylor-Ballesteros offers a gentle tale of friendship between a round-eyed black horned beetle narrator and a red caterpillar. Every day, the pals picnic; every night, they "watch the moon come up together." That is, until one morning, when the caterpillar disappears (a red chrysalis hanging from the overlook provides an impeccable illustration of dramatic irony). Determined to rescue its friend, the beetle buckles on a picnic basket and sets off toward spots of red in the forest. Though the beetle's initial identification proves a misconstruction, a spotted red butterfly soon appears. Naylor-Ballesteros's prose is conversational and gently humorous, as in the beetle's bravery song: "Oh, I'm a beetle and, er... haven't you heard?/ I'll keep singing till... till I run out of words!" Graphite strokes offer rich texture against spare backgrounds in this tale that emphasizes friendship's ability to withstand change. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)