BARNEY THE BARNACLE

A barnacle who clings to a rock day in and out is the unlikely hero of this picture book.

Situated on a small outcrop in the middle of the ocean, Barney isn’t much more than a pair of googly eyes and strands of feathery appendages that resemble a shock of long red hair. Resisting invitations from birds and fish and staying strong amid the stress of storm and sea as they fiercely contend with each other, “Barney could not be moved.” Then a shipwreck strands a group of musicians right on Barney’s boulder. Waiting for help, the band plays, and in his heart, “Barney felt something wake up.” Finally, waves of music do what the sea’s waves could not: They move Barney, who gets up and dances. Rescue arrives just as the book wraps up, but Barney’s fate is left ambiguous. Barney is a surprising reincarnation of Herman Melville’s Bartleby, though he proves unexpectedly sensitive to the world around him. Foley’s unrhymed prose is poetic. The cryptic ending may be unsatisfactory for some, but others will enjoy imagining a conclusion of their own. Carrilho’s vibrant, kinetic art, with saturated neon colors in watery swirls, is immersive. The four musicians, who maintain their sangfroid amid rain and crashing waves, vary in terms of skin tone and body size.

A low-key story with high-octane art that celebrates the power of music.