BOOM SNOT TWITTY THIS WAY THAT WAY

A bear, a bird, and a snail differ on plans for an outing.

“Boom, Snot, and Twitty hit the trail early to find the perfect spot to spend the day,” opens the text, as a hilarious illustration shows the three inadvertently setting out in three different directions. As before (Boom, Snot, Twitty, 2014), staying together is a given, but this time, two have concrete goals. Boom, the bear, wants to go to the beach; as he imagines it, the illustrations shift from figures and shadows in ample white space to a full-bleed, double-page spread of Boom happily at the seaside, digging in sand. Twitty, a bird, longs for the mountains; her similarly formatted vision shows her standing atop a peak, gazing at others through binoculars. Snot, a snail, wants a group picnic. She asks the others which activities at their dream locations they care about most. The dispute continues until Boom and Twitty notice that Snot has silently departed. As they follow a trail of blueberries she’s left them, readers see that Snot, ever wise, has found a route and destination that braids everyone’s desires together. Liwska’s soft palette, crosshatched lines, and fine touch with posture and emotion render her scenes and characters both gentle and unique—and what’s better than a bird in hiking boots?

Quietly alluring and visually peaceful.