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.)

Adaptation and survival take a front seat in this intriguing tale of a forward-thinking flower. This intriguing bit of informational fiction follows the personal journey of a plant from delicious to deadly. Belladonna might be beautiful, but to the animals of the forest, she's a 24-hour snack bar. Gnawed on by any number of hungry critters, she seeks guidance from Raspberry (who deters unwelcome visitors with thorns but allows little birds and mice to feast--and thus scatter raspberry seeds), Oak (who explains that the animals who gather acorns allow more oak trees to thrive), and Fungus (whose relatives use poison to ward off voracious animals). Determined to protect herself, Belladonna vows to change. Slowly, over "thousands of years," she makes her insides poisonous. All is well and good, except that upon completion, she acquires a new fear: What if no one will eat her berries and spread her seeds now? Fortunately, just as Belladonna has changed, the local pheasant population has adapted right alongside her. As the author's note is quick to point out, "Every single species on Earth, from plants to people, has developed its own adaptive strategy." The story will leave readers with an understanding of why some plants can't be eaten--at least not by most creatures. Accompanied by lush art that imbues the various flora with expressive faces, the book also gets a great deal of comic mileage out of the different animals munching on Belladonna with gleeful abandon. Sympathy for the poisonous--an empathetic glimpse of a much-maligned beauty.(Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.