GUSTAV IS MISSING!

What wouldn’t you do for your bestie?

Little Cap, a small mushroom with a spotted red cap and oversized round spectacles, lives a cozy life with Gustav, his slug BFF. One day, Gustav goes missing when the gate around their house is somehow left open. Distraught—and very timid—Little Cap resolves to do whatever it takes to find him. Worrying about Gustav’s fate, he ventures out and musters the courage to talk to neighbors, and his fears hasten him over rough terrain and unfamiliar landscapes. Finally, he locates Gustav among a colorful assemblage of slugs. After their joyful reunion, they return home and resume former activities. Not so fast, though: Little Cap has changed. He’s grown in life experience, courage, self-confidence, and sociability. He now loves recounting stories of his exploits to neighbors and realizes he wants to have new ones with Gustav. This very sweet, quietly told story will help children understand it’s OK to make small forays out of one’s comfort zone to make new discoveries—especially about oneself—and that it’s most rewarding to have adventures with a friend. The rich, warm, ink-drawn, digitally colored illustrations wonderfully capture the protagonists’ textured natural surroundings. Readers can seek out Gustav in the endpapers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A delightful, sharply observed tale about friendship and taking those first tentative steps toward independence.