ABSOLUTELY NOT

Watercolor, pencil, and digital techniques illustrate this gentle story about the nature of fear during two insects’ late-summer stroll. Gloria proposes an outing, but Frieda is frightened of the snake outside the window—which is really the winding river in the distance. Gloria coaxes Frieda outside, where Frieda sees huge frogs waiting to eat them—but they’re really only the negative space of leaf patterns on the ground. Some pictures show the two insects from afar, emphasizing how small they are within their landscape; endpapers provide an aerial view of the territory covered. Pale greens and blues keep the setting mild and summer-like. Deft visual pacing brings sudden drama when one of Frieda’s worries turns out to be well-founded, but never fear: this whimsical tale may ponder the relative value of fear itself, but McElligott brings everyone home safe. (Picture book. 3-6)