SPOT, SPIKE, SPIRAL

Insects and animals that feature prominent spots, spikes, and spirals are depicted in vibrant watercolor.

This board book comes from the team behind Dot, Stripe, Squiggle (2018), and similarly, it’s also all in the name. It opens with a series of three progressions of the words, “Spot / Spike / Spiral,” each featured on its own two-page spread, matched with an insect or animal featuring one of those three descriptors. Tuttle’s text is basic and simple, with only slight changes thanks to some ellipses, exclamation points, and arbitrary-feeling capitalization. Nerlove’s incredibly rich and detailed watercolor illustrations drive all of the reader interest. Though the pages appear sparse and the illustrations are shown on a starkly contrasting, all-white background, they encourage readers to linger and look. There is so much to absorb and study: the depth of color variation in the blue poison dart frog’s skin and the tiny fly capturing its attention, the gorgeous rainbow of color and pattern on the lanternfly. The last two pages show each animal or insect and its complete name—a nice touch and certainly necessary for curious young readers.

Setting aside the repetitive text, this one is worth picking up for the rich, absorbing illustrations of lesser-known animals and insects.