Twig

Australian newcomer Parker creates delicate ink-and-watercolor spreads of an elaborate, cheerful school for insects. Dozens of softly tinted, many-legged students (Parker is going for decorative value more than accuracy, although many of the insects are identifiable) head for Bug School among the trees of the forest. New students to any school sometimes feel invisible, but Heidi really is. She’s a stick insect, and because she appears to be made out of wood in a forest school full of trees, the other students don’t see her. Miss Orb, the teacher, hangs her weaving on Heidi, who looks, at that moment, just like the coat rack she’s standing next to. It’s not until one of the students tries to insert Heidi into an art project that Heidi explodes at last: “I’m not a twig! I’m me! I’m Heidi!” Teachers usually make a point of introducing new students to the class, but whether or not readers buy that Heidi would be overlooked for so long, they’ll take pleasure in Parker’s imaginative forest world, with its parades and tea parties, brimming with insect-school fun. Ages 4–8. [em](July) [/em]