"WESTLY: A Spider's Tale," by Bryan Beus, Shadow Mountain, $15.99, 171 pages (f) (ages 8-12)
Westly, the titular character of "Westly: A Spider's Tale," is a young caterpillar and a prince in the butterfly kingdom. He is looking forward to the time he will change into his butterfly form. He can't wait to burst from his cocoon to show off his wings and begin ruling alongside his father, the king.
When the day finally arrives, Westly emerges from his cocoon only to find he does not have wings. In fact, Westly is not a butterfly at all. Instead, he has become something much worse.
Embarrassed by his appearance and fearing rejection from his family and friends, he leaves the safety of the butterfly kingdom to begin a life on the forest floor. But having never ventured this far from the kingdom, Westly is unprepared for the challenges that await him.
Fortunately, he finds the insects on the forest floor are not like his teachers in the butterfly kingdom had described them. These "dirt eaters," as the butterflies called them, are not only friendly, but willing to take him in, as long as he does his share of work.
"Westly: A Spider's Tale" is the debut writing and illustrating work of Utah County resident Bryan Beus, who is the winner of the Kirchoff/Wohlberg Award from the New York Society of Illustrators.
This simple story of a misfit spider is surprisingly sophisticated and shares a message of accepting oneself that should appeal to children of all ages. Beus does a masterful job developing characters that teach lessons through their words as well as through their actions.
This book contains some mild violence and confrontational dialogue between some of the key characters shared in an age-appropriate way. There is no swearing or sexual content.
Steve Larson is one of the founders of Information Alliance, a Utah-based data collection company. He currently serves as vice president of sales. Steve spends his free time writing and practicing photography. He also enjoys spending time outdoors.