What Could That Be?

Iranian artist Dalvand (Mrs Bibi's Elephant) imagines a mysterious object on the forest floor: a small, jet-black lump that sits in a clearing "between trees that/ glittered green and red." In contrast to the black shape, the animals that approach it are shot through with elegant rainbows of color. A leopard sees the mysterious thing first; one of her spots has fallen off, she's sure. A bear decides it's a piece of a warrior horse's horseshoe ("The enemy was near!"), while an owl concludes it's a dragon's egg that might set the forest ablaze. Dalvand draws the imaginary visions, all of which have a whiff of Chicken Little-like despair, with detail as the animals, gathered in a thicket of multicolored undergrowth, become baffled and increasingly terrified. Another page turn reveals that these rumors are all in the past, and that the black lump is still sitting there, "something mysterious, something lovely, something magical.... What do you think that could be?" While the absence of a solution may feel disquieting to some, Dalvand indicates that he's eager to share his creative power--sometimes, he hints, books and grown-ups don't have all the answers. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)