THIS IS WHAT A SLUG DOES

A slug gets ready for his close-up in this U.K. import.

Simon sports a pale blue hat and an appealing grin but is otherwise completely accurate. The opening illustration includes labels for various body parts: tentacles, tail, mouth, foot, and pneumostome. Slime helps him slither and stick, but it also turns out to be his secret—and secreted—weapon: It tastes revolting to birds and other predators. While Simon is busy shredding leaves with his “tiny scratchy tongue. Like a cheese grater,” a shrew spots him. “OH NO!” But Simon quickly manufactures “extra gross” slime, and after one lick, the shrew backs off. Soon Simon meets Susan. “Or maybe Steve. It doesn’t really matter. Slugs don’t care.” They take a mysterious midair spin on a slime thread, and “no one is quite sure what just happened” (even scientists, as the backmatter confirms). Then Simon starts to dry out (potentially dangerous for a slug), so he burrows into the mud, where another threat awaits. Has he been eaten by a mole? “Simon’s head is gone. Silence. Simon is dead.” Oh no. “Just kidding!” Turns out a slug’s head can retract! And that’s enough for one day. A final page presents unexpectedly fascinating slug facts, including their habit of pooping from their heads and their hermaphroditic nature. The text is informative but casual, infused with a dash of wit, and the spare, watercolorlike art is both beautiful and droll.

A surprisingly—and satisfyingly—dramatic day in the life of a slug.