Little Shrew

With understated storytelling and shadowy pencil, charcoal, and acrylic gouache artwork that’s simultaneously winsome and melancholy, Miyakoshi (I Dream of a Journey) examines the everyday life of a small shrew who lives modestly among humans. In the first of three satisfying sections, Little Shrew breakfasts on honey biscuits, commutes by train to a routine day at the office, stops at a bakery for “two rye bread rolls and one white roll,” and, after dinner, works on “this evening’s to-do”—an act that results in a well-earned success. The second chapter reveals another side of Little Shrew as he trades his scarf for a used television and discovers a new world in an underwater ocean scene that catalyzes “a dream of traveling to a tropical island” as well as a minor decor change. In the final section, Little Shrew prepares for an annual visit from two dear friends. After he makes soup and cleans, the furry guests arrive bearing honey and fancy chocolate, and the three chat and sing before saying goodbye. (“It was a good year,” Little Shrew reflects.) Whether or not Little Shrew will one day get the trip he yearns for, renderings of quiet, precisely completed routines and the occasional celebration bring security and contentment to this intimate here-and-now portrait. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 5–8. (June)