WHERE'S SPEEDY?

The adventures of a sneaky slug.

George and his little sister, Lotta (who appear to be anthropomorphized puppies), are hunting for little critters in the garden when they come upon a slug munching greens. They put him in a lidless jar with a leaf and a rock and take him to show their father, who is making pretzels. The kids pause for a snack and return to find Speedy has gone for a sluggy stroll…or has he? George and Lotta run off to find him, asking various family members—Grandma, who’s in the bath; Grandad, who’s gardening; and Mom, who’s working on the car—if they have seen Speedy. No one has. The whole family, along with three kittens from next door, agree to help search. They find plenty of critters but no Speedy (though eagle-eyed readers will notice that the slug is never actually that far away). Then Grandad returns with a slimy passenger on his head. After a celebration, it’s time to return Speedy to his family (and have another pretzel). Gregory’s simple tale of a lost short-term yard pet is a fun game of spot the gastropod. Once kids realize Speedy is on every page, they will demand to read it again to find the miniscule mollusk. Cartoon illustrations with scribbly lines are a good match for the text. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Animal lovers will have a field day with this fun story that also offers a seek-and-find element.