The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Luján, Jorge

Stephen and the Beetle

32 pp. | Groundwood | August, 2012 | Trade ISBN 978-1-55498-192-2 $18.95

(3) K-3 Translated by Elisa Amado. Illustrated by Chiara Carrer. When Stephen finds a beetle in the garden, his first impulse is to crush it. But then he considers the implications of such an act and changes his mind. As Stephen bends down to observe the small creature, the art's perspective shifts and the beetle assumes visual dominance. The simplicity of Carrer's mixed-media illustrations sweetly underscores the story's message about life's fragility.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson