THE ADVENTURES OF BIRPUS & BULBUS

A Sour Milk Dragon menacing sylvan critters turns out not to be that frightening in Everett-Albanese and Albanese’s picture book.

The fantastically named Birpus and Bulbus, forest creatures (“Tree-Wees”) who resemble something between beavers and corduroy teddy bears, have been repeatedly chased by the Sour Milk Dragon, but they’re too fast to be caught. Their days are occupied with searching for “worm waffles” and “marmalade moths.” The layered, digitally painted world they race through is full of vast, redwoodlike trees and mushroom cottages linked by ladder bridges and lit by filtered orange light. When they return home, their Grand-Wees are always happy to tell a story. The older forest-dwellers seem unconcerned about the dragon below. As it turns out, this is a reasonable attitude: When they find him again, Birpus and Bulbus learn the homely purple milk-leaking dragon, though stinky, poses no threat to anyone and just wants a friend. Children who enjoy eccentric fantasy characters and are too young for more complicated stories will enjoy this easy resolution. The narrative gives more weight to the cozy woodland vibes (one character, Mr. Yellow, is literally a blanket) than to character or plot. Ta’s creative, full-color illustrations add depth to the simple storybook world.

These goofy, friendly characters offer an uncomplicated story with visual interest and a measure of good fun.