Bring Me a Rock!

In Miyares’s (Float) crisply focused fable, a tyrant of a grasshopper orders his insect subjects to bring him rocks: “I will have a majestic pedestal fit for a king.” The insects line up, straining under the weight of their rocks as the grasshopper gives each a bored glance. “Is that the best you’ve got?” he yawns. A pipsqueak bug with a tiny rock rouses his ire: “I need big rocks, not puny pebbles!” he shouts in big, all-caps type. But when the grasshopper’s throne starts to totter, the little bug saves the day, stuffing his rock into a crevice to stabilize it. With the goodwill he earns, the little bug persuades the grasshopper to redistribute the rocks. Equal thrones for all! It’s a novel take on how to get along with bullies: rather than defy them, look for an opportunity to gain influence and power—an approach with a certain pragmatic persuasiveness. With its insect-eye perspective, deeply saturated colors, intersecting planes, and unusual angles (from the very top of the throne, for example), Miyares’s artwork delivers his message with impact. Ages 4–8. Agent: Studio Goodwin Sturges. (June)