A Surprise for Snail

A snail’s pace turns out to be just fleet enough in the luminous latest by Horácek (Tiny Owl’s Scary Day). On his birthday, Snail, whose shell resembles an arc of colored glass, wants to see the sunset over the sea, but the locale seems “a very long way” off for someone who moves at Snail’s velocity. As he gets going early and makes his way, friends step up with piggyback offers. But Mouse, fluffy and gray with a bright orange tail, zips along too fast, and emerald Frog bounces too roughly. Neither effort is diminished or disparaged—both get Snail closer to his goal, and both cheerfully reply to his genuine thanks with “That’s what friends are for.” It is Tortoise—whose shape and cobblestone-like texture are easily mistaken for a rock—who intuits the destination Snail seeks and carries him, napping, to the shore just in time. Saturated, translucent colors give each character a standout presence and the landscape a lush, tactile beauty as the journey leads to the sea and a sweet surprise. It’s a good-natured narrative about finding a friend who moves exactly at one’s speed. Ages 3–7. (June)