BÉBERT

A decapod travels to France as a specimen and becomes a member of a scientist’s household in this whimsical tale by Ferebee, the author/illustrator of The Songs that Paper Sings (2015).

When Professor Bagette discovers a 10-legged, one-eyed, spiderlike bug on an island jaunt, he’s eager to get the creature home to his lab in France. There, he shows it to his housekeeper, Madame Gazou, who “never had gotten used to his collection of creepy crawly things!” She does her best to adjust when the new bug grows to enormous size, due to the effects of the professor’s “experimental plant solution.” The homesick bug, whom the professor names Bébert, learns how to be a useful part of the household, cleaning alongside Madame Gazou and keeping his webs to one corner of a room. When Bébert begins to play his web like a harp, the music is so enchanting that Professor Bagette decides to introduce him to the villagers. Though they’re initially afraid, the villagers quickly recognize how remarkable Bébert is, and the town merchants even give him a nice beret and shoes to even his gait. (The French villagers all have pale skin, and their old-fashioned clothing gives the sense of an earlier era than the present.) This whimsical story has plenty of charm, and young, independent readers will find it accessible, despite lengthy sections of text. Ferebee integrates French phrases and honorifics smoothly, and the narrator’s occasional direct statements to the audience (“well, wouldn’t you?”) will encourage lap readers to chime in with responses. However, the author interchangeably uses the terms “insect” and “spider” for 10-legged Bébert, which may have knowledgeable, critter-loving preschoolers up in arms. She also neglects an opportunity to introduce young readers to the definition of the word “decapod.” Her mixed-media illustrations are the book’s highlight, featuring painted backgrounds layered with cutout characters and objects, and they create a soft, enjoyable aesthetic.

An appealing, playful tale about unique creature learning to fit in.