cover image The Jungle Grapevine

The Jungle Grapevine

Alex Beard, . . Abrams, $16.95 (48pp) ISBN 978-0-8109-8001-3

Birds, snakes, gazelles and other African animals, rendered in stylized pen, ink and watercolor art, inadvertently pass along misinformation in this clever take on the familiar game of telephone. The ruckus begins when a geometrically patterned turtle comments, “The Watering Hole is always good for a laugh.... But lately the humor has been drying up.” Bird then tells Elephant that the Watering Hole is drying up, prompting a rumor of drought that gets twisted into fears of flood and news of mass migration. Debut author Beard's illustrations, which reveal characters in constant motion, bypass mere naturalism to evoke the creatures' emotional states and personalities (the bodies of a startled flock of flamingoes are defined by bold spirals that resemble treble clefs; music notes blast from an elephant's trunk while animals in the borders play trumpets and horns). A substantial black border focuses the action like a camera lens, as additional creatures and flora spill out into the edges. Beard neatly brings the story full circle, but paves the way for a new round of misunderstandings. Dryly witty and visually compelling. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)