Prose (Story): One day a remarkable, colorful sphere falls from the sky. Ladybug, Inchworm, the Walking Stick, Grasshopper - all the insects and animals living nearby gather to agree it's a strange and wondrous object ... though what, exactly, is it? No one knows, nor can even guess, but when Spider concocts a small fib to claim ownership of the mystical sphere, and makes plans to put it on a Grand Exhibit for all to view, he sets in motion what may end up a hard-learned lesson in family, community, and giving back.
Don's (Review): I go into every Fan Brothers picture book expecting to be dazzled, and the guys have yet to disappoint. Here, finely-drawn art, rendered in black and white to further highlight the wondrous color of the strange object that so has the insects bedazzled - takes your breath away on every page, as usual. From the way the fireflies light up the object as it sits on display, to the pristinely-detailed dandelions that look as if they could shed floaties right off the page, to the intricate patterns and textures of the insects and animals themselves (especially our anti-hero Spider) - as with most Fan Brothers books, you have to read through for the first time just finding glory in the art, before a second read-through to fully capture the story. Here, said story results in a lesson learned for Spider that leads to growth, and that's all I want to say to keep things spoiler-free. Needless to say, another beauty of a picture book that should be on the shelf of any kid, or kid at heart, with art and texture and characters all beautifully connected to a simple, inspiring message. Outstanding - at least for this Fan fan - as always. 5/5 stars
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