cover image THE SURPRISE VISITOR

THE SURPRISE VISITOR

Juli Kangas, . . Dial, $16.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-8037-2989-6

Kangas's (Photographer Mole ) soft-spoken, masterfully rendered story opens as a blue speckled "roundish object" (which children will instantly recognize as a bird's egg) seemingly drops out of the sky and rolls up to Edgar Small's doorstep. The gentlemanly mouse, sporting a vest and bow-tie, tries to find a home for it. But none of his forest friends are missing an offspring; and even though Edgar assures the rabbit mother that the roundish thing is "remarkably quiet!... He's no trouble at all!" she demurs. Because the animals are a well-mannered, kindly bunch, they do try to make the putative orphan more attractive to other adoptive families. An elderly artiste turtle paints the egg his favorite bright yellow, the rabbits add a rabbit-like face. Kangas's forest world seems at once wild and magically cozy; her meticulous detailing and lush, woodsy palette immerses readers in every setting, whether it's the cool undergrowth where the rabbit children frolic or the pine tree penthouse of two gracious squirrels. The book comes to a satisfying close when the very dolled-up roundish thing is unintentionally proffered to its actual (and distraught) mother and promptly hatches. "You see, he's even more adorable on the inside!" says the bird, gushing with gratitude and relief. Kangas perfectly pitches the text's endearing sense of politesse to her illustrations' wonderfully old-fashioned aesthetic. Ages 4-up. (Feb.)