Into the Dark: Circle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klaasen

THIS IS CIRCLE.

Circle invites her friends Square and Triangle over to play a game of hide and seek.

"HERE ARE THE RULES," SHE SAID. "I WILL CLOSE MY EYES AND COUNT. YOU MUST HIDE. I WILL FIND YOU.

THERE'S ONE MORE RULE. NO HIDING UNDER THE WATERFALL."

Square is fine with that rule. It's dark back there.

"WHY NOT?" SAID TRIANGLE. "I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK."

There's one in every crowd.

When Circle finishes her count and opens her eyes, Square is still there. He reports that Triangle is not following the rules. He has gone behind the waterfall.

With a sigh, Square goes behind her waterfall to look for Triangle. There's a shadowy and dank cave back there, with pools of water and big rocks here and there, and the further she goes into the cave the darker it gets. If Triangle is there, she can't see him. She calls Triangle, but there's no answer. Then she sees something familiar through the gloom.

Circle is not happy. Breaking the rules has spoiled their fun.

"WHY ARE YOU SUCH A BAD FRIEND?"

But then Circle hears her own voice echoing in the dark and regrets her hard words. She apologizes to the shape in the dark.

"YOU ARE A GOOD FRIEND."

Triangle finally answers, saying that he is actually relieved to see Square and Circle there.

And then Circle points out that whoever or whatever Triangle is seeing, it's not Square, who is still outside.

"OH," SAID TRIANGLE.

That is a scary moment, but back in the sunlight, all is forgiven, and Circle waxes philosophical about the shape she thought she saw back in the dark. Could it have been perhaps something good?

In their Circle (Candlewick Press, 2019) Mac Barnett and Jon Klaasen offer much more than a short picture book that completes their award-winning trilogy. It teaches shapes to the very young, and it's an irresistible beginner book for emergent readers, but at the same time a short treatise on the nature of friendship and a thoughtful look at how fears grow in the dark of not knowing. A wise look at what we think we know when we don't really know.

Says Kirkus Reviews,"Illustrator Klassen's watercolor, graphite, and digitally created illustrations are evocative in their muted palette and spare presentation...the implied message of the story is a vital one in this xenophobic age and its subtle delivery and imagery encourage further exploration."