What do you do when your pet is a tiny elephant and you “never quite fit in”? You find your people, that’s what you do. 

This is the struggle faced by the boy in this loving, affirming debut picture book from YA author Lisa Mantchev. The boy and his elephant are inseparable, and their friendship is a thoughtful one: The elephant holds an umbrella over the boy’s head on a rainy walk, and the boy carries the elephant over scary sidewalk cracks. “That’s what friends do,” after all. But when they head to Pet Club Day in the boy’s neighborhood, the sign on the door says, “STRICTLY NO ELEPHANTS.”

After the boy leaves, he meets a girl with a pet skunk. “The sign didn’t mention skunks,” she tells him, “but they don’t want us to play with them either.” The two start their own club, because friends don’t leave anyone behind. A group of children with unconventional pets follow the boy and his new friend to a treehouse club where they paint a sign: “ALL ARE WELCOME.” The boy’s tiny elephant will even give directions to any fellow misfits who need them. Now that’s hospitality. 

In her linoleum block prints, illustrator Taeeun Yoo brings it all to life with great warmth and a delightful cast of creatures, from a narwhal in a small fishbowl to a penguin on a leash. 

Misfits unite—and stand up for each other. That’s what friends do. 

Julie Danielson features authors and illustrators at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a children’s literature blog.

This article was originally published in the November 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Children's Top Pick, November 2015

When Cole asks his mother for a story about a bear, she shares a true tale, one forgotten by time. It all starts with Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian from Winnipeg, Manitoba. During World War I, Harry travels by train across Canada to care for soldiers’ horses. At one of these stops, Harry gets off to stretch his legs and sees a trapper with a bear cub. Noticing something special about the bear, Harry’s “heart made up his mind,” and he buys the bear for 20 dollars.

The bear, named Winnipeg, or Winnie for short, quickly becomes a mascot for Harry and his fellow soldiers. Whether in the fields of Canada, crossing the Atlantic Ocean or on England’s rainy plains, Winnie impresses all with her remarkable tricks. But when Harry is called to the front in France, his heart makes up his mind again, and he takes Winnie to the London Zoo, where she will be cared for.

This touching story, enhanced with Sophie Blackall’s expressive and characteristically patterned illustrations, could end there. But in London, there’s a little boy named Christopher Robin. He not only names his stuffed bear Winnie-the-Pooh after visiting—and playing with—the real Winnie, but his father, Alan Alexander Milne, writes stories about them.

How does author Lindsay Mattick know all of this? She’s Harry’s great-granddaughter, and she named her son, Cole, after him. A concluding album features photographs of all the participants. 

This tender tribute will inspire a new generation of Winnie fans—for the books and the historic bear.

Illustrations © 2015 by Sophie Blackall. Reprinted with permission of Little, Brown.

This article was originally published in the November 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

From the author of the New York Times bestselling Origami Yoda series comes a wacky and witty tale about transportation.

McToad likes Thursdays for one simple reason: He gets to mow Tiny Island—although getting his lawn mower there is not as simple as one may think. He has to transport his mower via truck, train, forklift, airplane, baggage buggy, helicopter, boat and crane before happily cutting the lawn—complete with lemonade break—and then reversing the whole process to return home.

Tom Angleberger collaborates with award-winning illustrator John Hendrix to produce a story that will capture the interest of both kids and adults. While the mere mention of mowing the lawn may raise adults’ ire, there are those who look forward to the oft-weekly routine. Aside from the love-hate task, there are plenty of other big machines to keep older readers amused as younger listeners and readers get caught up in McToad’s fascinating journey. Angleberger’s straightforward text is enhanced with creative and attention-grabbing fonts for each form of transportation. Much like the catchy, cumulative format in “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” Angleberger’s repetitive use of fonts engages young readers in McToad’s Thursday ritual. Hendrix’s colorful and hilarious illustrations, created with a combination of pen, ink and acrylics, turn McToad’s day into a madcap adventure.

An interactive read from beginning to end, McToad Mows Tiny Island is ideal for one-on-one story time or in a group setting.

Where’s the Baboon? is described as a “super bookgame” by author Michael Escoffier and illustrator Kris Di Giacomo. The story hits the ground running when a pair of mice scamper by, hoisting a pencil with a fellow mouse balancing on top. He calls out, “Let’s go search for hidden words!” and the game is on. Escoffier and Di Giacomo’s clever follow-up to Take Away the A will engage parents and children alike.

School is fun when the classroom is full of Di Giacomo’s cheeky animals. The headmaster is a bell-ringing hamster, and a big, long-armed ape presents an apple to the teacher. Mouse uses paint brushes for stilts, a seal wields one with his flipper, and apron-wearing Pig stands at the easel painting. While all this is going on, leading questions direct the scavenger hunt for words within words.

Later on, Pig seems to be eating school supplies as the three crafty mice rappel up a tower of number blocks. There is a mouse-juggling cow, a snake clipping snowflakes, and much, much more in this playful romp of a book. Call it what you like, but Esoffier and Di Giacomo appear to have another hit on their hands. After all, they put the “boo” in baboon. The excitement of a surprise birthday party flies right off the pages when the missing guest suddenly appears in a shower of bright ribbons, balloons and confetti. Wordplay and fun—what’s not to like?

Billie B. Little is the Founding Director of Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, a hands-on museum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

No microwaves or football kickoffs here; a cast-iron stove, candles and a hand-pump sink fill the background in Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story. Pat Zietlow Miller and Jill McElmurry collaborate to bring us this charming peek into America’s past, reminding us that while the trimmings may have changed, our Thanksgiving tradition of family and feasting remains strong.

Told from the perspective of a young boy, Sharing the Bread brings readers into an 1800s farming family’s home, where everyone has an important job. But even before the turkey is ready, the family is celebrating. The kitchen crowds with loved ones, honoring each contribution, sharing the cooking tasks and anticipating the feast. As dinner comes together—bread rising, cider jug emptying—readers may be surprised at how familiar it feels.

Miller (Sophie’s Squash) uses rhyme and alliteration to create a story that feels both fresh and sweetly old fashioned. She recreates a voice that has been handed down from generations before, engaging us with fun, song-like patterns. Two-line refrains break up the narration, keeping the message focused on the meaning of Thanksgiving. McElmurry, illustrator of Little Blue Truck, invites us into every page with warm country colors, a variety of textures and patterns, and food that looks warm and tasty. Each scene is comfortable and cozy, a nostalgic event that brings us together every autumn.

Whether you read this story aloud before your own feast, or curled up later—turkey-full and content—this story will help keep the Thanksgiving feeling alive all season. Every family has their treasured Thanksgiving traditions; Sharing the Bread is bound to become one as well.

Preschoolers will love the topsy-turvy world in The Nonsense Show, the latest book from beloved author-illustrator Eric Carle. In the opening spread, a rabbit magician pulls a boy out of a hat, saying, “Welcome, friends! / Don’t be slow. / Step right up to / The Nonsense Show!”

The book is a tribute to Surrealism―on the dedication page Carle pays homage to master René Magritte―and completes a trilogy that includes Friends (a salute to abstract art) and The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse (Expressionism). Carle explains, “I appreciate the way Surrealist artists like Magritte showed us in all their paintings that you have to keep looking, keep paying attention. And keep playing.”

If these sound like high-minded concepts for picture books, never fear! Young readers will do just what Carle suggests, immediately warming to the absurdity on each page of The Nonsense Show. They’ll discover a child peeking out of a kangaroo’s pouch, a mouse chasing a cat, a tennis player swinging at an apple and a lion taming a pair of circus performers, with humor throughout in both pictures and concise narration.

The vibrant artwork is classic Carle, showcasing his signature style of painted tissue-paper collage. A deer (with flowers instead of antlers) on the title page is so three-dimensional that he seems ready to pop off the page, and readers can practically feel the fur on the rabbit’s big ears.

Don’t miss Carle’s silly biography and photo on the inside back cover, or the amusing list of “preposterous” words on the final spread. There’s endless fun to be found in this delightful book.

He doesn’t have the worm-fed physique of the robin, the glossy red pompadour of the cardinal, or the impressively sculpted chest muscles of the eagle. No, Nerdy Birdy’s glasses are too big, his wings are too small, and he’s allergic to birdseed. He’s not good at fishing or football like Eagle, singing like a rock star and attracting fans like Cardinal, or insulting and eating worms like Robin. No, Nerdy Birdy is good at reading and video games, particularly reading about video games.

So why should Nerdy Birdy care about these cool birdies? Because he knows that being alone is awfully lonely. Just when he’s at his loneliest, Nerdy Birdy looks up to see a whole gang of nerdy birdies nestled together on a power line. Many have glasses that are too big, wings that are too small, and allergies and inhalers, while others like to read and play World of Wormcraft. But they’re all his friends now.

While the story, with its comical pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, could stop with this life lesson, a black vulture with contact lenses, enormous wings and “weird” eating habits arrives on the scene. And while his new friends quickly turn their tail feathers on Vulture, Nerdy Birdy remembers what it was like to be all alone and accepts Vulture, dead things and all. A humorous ending shows that there’s always room for more—and even bigger—friends. Reynolds’ entertaining tribute to nerds reveals that birds of a feather should definitely flock together.

The game’s on in this endearing story of friendship and the Olympian spirit from talented illustrator Alexandra Boiger, who makes her author-illustrator debut with Max and Marla.

Max is a determined young boy, and Marla is his best—and most feathered—friend, a snowy white owl. The two companions are Olympic hopefuls, and though they may not have their eye on the international games themselves, a true Olympian knows that the spirit of such competitions can inspire anyone with an imagination—as well as a giant, snow-covered hill behind their home. Boiger kicks things off by speaking directly to readers, should they dare doubt the duo’s Olympian status: “Wait, you don’t believe it? Just watch.”

Their sport of choice is sledding, and each time they head out to the massive hill (“Ready. Set. Go!”), they face obstacles, such as technical difficulties and strong winds. But perseverance and fearlessness (not to mention, on a very practical level, preparation) are the name of the game here. “True Olympians never give up,” Boiger repeatedly reminds readers. She paces the story nicely: The duo stops to rest—“Tomorrow will be a new day”—as well as takes a sick day, because taking care of oneself, after all, is the key to good sportsmanship.

There are several moments of humor, such as when they finally make it down the hill and land at the bottom as giant snowballs. But readers will enjoy how they make the most of it, and they will also ooh and ahh over Boiger’s beautiful blue and white aerial snow spreads, rendered via ink and watercolors.

Despite all the snow and ice, it’s a warm story of two winning friends, Olympians through and through. Maybe we’ll see them again in future books. They’re good as gold.

Julie Danielson features authors and illustrators at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a children’s literature blog.

Award-winning author-illustrator Laura Vaccaro Seeger tells a story of childhood fears in her newest picture book, starring a young protagonist who looks life’s scary things right in the eyes. She manages to find wonder where she once saw worry, such as marveling in the shimmering web of a scary spider. She learns that a friend can help keep fears and loneliness at bay, whether that friend is a beloved pet or a stack of storybooks. Even the scary shadows of her room become happy moments. It’s all in how you look at it—and where you place yourself in the light.

Using acrylic paints, collage and cleverly placed die cuts, Seeger reveals surprises via compelling page turns. The colors are rich, and there is a real texture to the artwork, with spider webs that nearly look 3-D and tree bark that looks like the real thing.

This story, however, is about more than just fears of the dark or the fear of arachnids. The girl is also afraid of change and possesses the vulnerabilities of someone afraid to get hurt, as many children do. For instance, she used to be afraid of merely “making a mistake but not anymore.” When her friend leaves, she conquers her fear of solitude with a wagon full of books. In the end, she wisely acknowledges that some things are always scary. Here, her brother may chase her with a scary mask, but revenge is sweet when she gets hold of the same mask later. But big brothers are also sweet, as readers see them playing happily on the final page.

Honest and straightforward, this is an engaging read for young children, especially those experiencing big transitions in life. Never fear: This is a book well worth your time.

Julie Danielson features authors and illustrators at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a children’s literature blog.

Knowing that the sun will reach its destination renders its trip—and this book—no less miraculous. Author-illustrator Bob Graham presents this everyday event in a way that will delight children and remind us of the one thing that unites every creature on Earth.

Graham’s sun is delightfully personified, playfully traveling from snow-covered forests to cities large and small, touching birds and planes, kids and camels alike. Finally arriving at Coco’s house, the sun wakes Coco and her friends for a day of snowy fun.

Gentle, soft-lined illustrations catch the reader’s eye, as the sun’s rays brighten each page, inviting us into every scene. Graham’s people may have vastly different lives from our own, or travel paths utterly foreign to us, but his skillful, tranquil illustrations create a sense of familiarity. Precise, poetic text enhances Graham’s illustrations, describing the varied ways the sun interacts with people, animals, buildings and the natural world. Expertly catching minute detail, Graham allows readers to appreciate the unique moments the sun brings to the world around us.

Going beyond telling a sweet story, Graham (The Silver Button, Vanilla Ice Cream) uses simple, slightly vague characters to tap into a sense of universal understanding and knowledge. Even more, he shows us places we may never see—sand dunes and camels, whales beneath the waves—warmed by the same sun that greets us daily.

This uplifting sun story is perfect for chilly-day cuddling, bedtime reading and a first science lesson for the littlest ones. Graham reminds us that, wherever we are, the sun—for a moment, everyday—unites us all. This charming book will do the same.

Benjamin Fox’s lovely and poignant book The Great and the Grand lends itself well to bedtime readings. Simple language and Elizabeth Robbins’ softly textured, luminous illustrations depict the importance of extended family in a quiet yet meaningful way.

The story begins as dawn breaks over a peaceful valley on an “uncommonly good day.” We meet “The New” and “The Old,” one just waking, one preparing for visitors. The New is surrounded by things to touch; the Old is surrounded by “touching things.” Fox’s gentle repetitions and wordplays permeate the book, and we learn that the young mother is setting out on a long train ride to introduce her new baby to his great-grandfather.

Robbins has created a mesmerizing backdrop for Fox’s words. Each page is a painting, soft-edged and expressive, with the most vibrant image being of the baby splashing his toys about in a bright green tub. The grandfather is portrayed against more muted, serene backdrops, as if he is seeing life through the veil of his experience. And when the Old and the New finally meet, Fox writes, “They are the past and the future. They are family.”

Grandparents and parents may find themselves tearing up over this book, but children will enjoy the story and a chance to talk about their own grandparents. The Great and the Grand is a uniquely evocative book of beauty and substance.

Billie B. Little is the Founding Director of Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, a hands-on museum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

John Coy’s many books about sports are especially popular with young readers, and here he brings his knowledge of the history of basketball to tell a timely and inspiring story about John McLendon (1915-1999), the first black coach in the American Basketball Association.

Game Changer explores a historical milestone: On March 12, 1944, members of the white Duke University Medical School team played a secret, illegal game against a black team from the North Carolina College of Negroes in segregated North Carolina. The game, the first of its kind, was arranged by McLendon, who had studied basketball under the game’s inventor, James Naismith. McLendon went on to a successful college coaching career and popularized the fast-paced tempo of the game that we see today.

Randy DuBurke’s powerful illustrations evoke both the 1940s time period and the emotions of young men who understood they were making history on that quiet Sunday morning. Particularly effective are panels that show the “innovative fast-break style of McClendon’s team in contrast to the slower, more traditional style of play." Coy’s text, which includes a bibliography and a timeline, brings the actions of the game to life while at the same time gives young readers enough history to appreciate the event’s significance.

“Today, people don’t think twice about players of different skin colors competing with one another on the court, but it wasn’t always that way,” Coy writes. “Coach John McClendon and those brave players who rose to the challenge in the Secret Game were years ahead of their time.” 

But who won? No spoilers here.

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is Courage & Defiance.

Parents and children alike will cherish Carolyn Beck’s That Squeak, a sensitively rendered, accessible story about grief and friendship. At the center of this beautifully illustrated tale is the bond between best buddies Jay and Joe, who shared big bike-riding adventures during an idyllic summer. Heading down the lane that led outside of town, Jay on his blue Monster Man, Joe riding his Red Devil, the pair escaped to their secret creek-side spot, where they ate apples and skipped stones. The squeak of the Monster Man’s seat was always at odds with the quiet of the countryside, and the boys came to love the noise.

But a tragedy has taken Jay away. After his funeral, his Monster Man stays locked up at school, a reminder of its lost rider. Joe, grief-stricken, resolves to take the bike home—a decision that leads to a surprising friendship with a new student named Carlos, who “looks like he never had a bike that wasn’t stolen from somebody else” and isn’t at all the type of boy Joe expects him to be.

Writing in a style that’s plainspoken yet delicately poetic, Beck brings a light touch to a difficult topic. She has a gift for arresting imagery—the boys pedal past cows with spots “like continents” and nostrils “like holes into the next universe.” François Thisdale’s gorgeous artwork—a blend of drawing, painting and digital illustration—captures the brisk energy of the boys’ bike rides while evoking the wistfulness of memory. That Squeak is definitely special, a standout story worthy of a permanent spot on the family bookshelf.