Don’t Eat Me! The Almost True Story of Belladonna

Known by most creatures as “that delicious shrub on the hill,” Belladonna—a sylph-like plant with dark berries, graceful flowers, and thoughtful eyes—worries about her legacy. If animals keep eating her, how will she ever propagate? She dreams of fleeing the forest on spindly legs topped with magenta booties, musing “All I want is for my flowers to open and for my berries to grow plump in the sun.” Counseled by other flora and fauna, Belladonna realizes that the way to protect the future of her species is to slowly evolve into a poisonous plant. And generations later, another Belladonna comes to understand that select birds—such as a sumptuously illustrated pheasant—will co-evolve, becoming immune to her toxins, scattering her seeds, and ensuring that her progeny can “live happily and multiply.” Shapiro (Roy Is Not a Dog) draws on folk art motifs, botanical art, and classic fairy tale aesthetics to portray a forest where, via debut author Finney’s extended text, everything is not only alive but eager for deep conversations about the paradoxes of adaptation and interdependence. Ages 6–9. (Oct.)