IS THIS PRESENT FOR ME?

A crew of creatures try to identify a package’s recipient.

Scuttlebutt abounds as the mysterious box arrives at the local post office. One by one, anthropomorphized animal denizens curiously enter to see if they’re the recipient. Postal worker Fox replies to each with a poem stating that they are not the intended owner. The animals band together to follow the mail carrier to the home of Little Shrew, where they find that the contents of the package are really gifts for them. Feeling embarrassed about their over-the-top reactions, they band together to give Little Shrew a gift and show their appreciation in their own way. Bathed in light amid a palette of warm earth tones, Álvarez’s exquisite textured art creates an idyllic world that showcases the quaint, folkloric nature of this community. Unfortunately, the story falls flat. Translated from Spanish, the text is stilted in spots and repetitive, giving the narrative a sluggish pace. While the community members try to convey selflessness as a result of their self-reflection with their gift to Little Shrew at the end (a handheld mirror), the result is murky, advocating both selflessness and thinking about yourself, leaving readers with a muddled resolution.

A jumbled look at the importance of thinking about others, elevated by exquisite visuals.