cover image Eric in Land Insects CL

Eric in Land Insects CL

Godfried Bomans. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), $14.95 (196pp) ISBN 978-0-395-65231-2

Originally published in the Netherlands more than 50 years ago, this newly translated fantasy appears in English for the first time. Eric, a third grader cramming for a test on insects, magically enters a painting that shows ``every possible insect that one could think of.'' The wasps, bees, butterflies and others are satirically drawn as inhabitants of a kind of parallel world, allowing Bomans sly but essentially genial observations about class structure and snobberies. `` `We are always delighted to entertain a gentleman ,' a wasp said, in a tone that could be taken as a warning.'' The resolution gently pokes fun at Eric's own world when he does miserably on his insect test. A sturdy whimsicality prevails, with the tale fairly exuding an old-fashioned charm. Finely wrought black-and-white illustrations bolster the antique appeal. Ages 8-up. (Mar.)