HOW TO STAYCATION LIKE A SNAIL

Quiet-loving Snail finds a way to take a break from routine without all the fuss and bother of…going somewhere.

Snail pines for the pleasures of travel but is wary of unexpected upsets (“Escargots for the—ahem—escargot,” announces a waiter as Snail flashes back to eating in a fancy restaurant). So Snail bids his animal pals goodbye as they board a tour bus and instead invites his closest friend, Stump, to share more local experiences. Being rooted in place, Stump is enthusiastic—“I hear that here is the new there”—and adventures are waiting just around the corner. Even when the gentle pleasures of staying in place—taking in smells and sounds, reading a guidebook—begin to seem too familiar, look! Here comes a cloud of fluffy “parachute seed” tourists riding in on the breeze to marvel at the exotic (to them) bugs, puddles, and other sights. In fact, some are so enthralled by the peaceful locale that they stay to root themselves. Expressive cartoon artwork brings to life endearingly uncertain Snail on the ups and downs of his staycation. The creators of How To Party Like a Snail (2022) offer a similarly validating follow-up that speaks directly to all readers who, like Snail and Stump, “love being happy homebodies and epic explorers at the same time.” Even when it’s only an arm’s length away, the world beckons for closer inspection.

Fine fare for dyed-in-the-wool stay-at-homes.