TODAY WE'LL BE EATEN

Mother Nature throws a pair of insects for a loop.

Dragonfly and Ladybug are trying to get home when a storm hits; they end up overturned in a stream from which they can’t extract themselves. “My wings are stuck!” laments Dragonfly. “Today we’ll surely be eaten!” frets Ladybug. But, forced to look up at the sky (both are on their backs), they find tranquility. After the current pulls them downstream, they’re spotted by a frog and a fish, who suggests that they devour the bugs, but curiosity about what Dragonfly and Ladybug are doing wins out. Frog and Fish try lying on their backs in the stream; before long, other animals want in, and “together they all basked in the glow of the sunset.” The plot of this picture-book debut from Barillaro, who won an Oscar for his animated short Piper, feels less like a story than like stop-and-smell-the-roses advocacy, which isn’t a knock; the idea that unexpected setbacks can yield rewards for those paying attention is a worthy one. Washy, digitally tweaked pencil-and-watercolor art splendidly captures the book’s outdoor settings and weather conditions. This offering should speak to readers who don’t demand dramatic turns of event and aren’t scared off by the book’s not-so-kid-friendly title.

An agreeably mellow case for slowing down and appreciating one’s surroundings.