Barry B. Wary

Barry the spider has a furtive expression and a keen interest in insect cuisine. But when he becomes infatuated with a butterfly ("Her flitter-by wings glowed glitter-sky blue./ Her curly antennae flopped cutely askew"), he resolves to change his diet. "So Barry quit cold, stopped dining on bugs,/ then sadly set free his delectable slugs." When a nighttime visitor falls into his candle, Barry is horrorstruck ("Was the love of his life now a blackened french fry?"), but it turns out to be a moth%E2%80%94which he eats. The end. It's a startling conclusion; too grim for comedy, too shallow for a love story (the butterfly's only line is "Eeek!"), too idle for a fable about changing bad habits. Debut artist Gifford's art hits a Halloween note, right between cute and scary; her webby inked lines and faded colors are well suited for Barry's spindly legs and the shaggy-headed flowers. Glass bottles filled with Barry's snacks and his insect-sized Weber grill setup provide visual entertainment, and newcomer Muir's verse trips along with a butterfly touch, but the book's ambiguities leave it without a clear audience. Ages 3%E2%80%937. (May)