Elmore
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Random House, 2018, 978-1-5247-1863-3
Elmore is a porcupine and he lives in a big, old maple
tree. He lives in the tree by himself, which is what porcupines do. One would
think that he would be used to the solitary life by now, but the truth of the
matter is that Elmore cannot help feeling a little lonely.
One day Elmore decides
that he will try to get some friends. He puts up a sign that reads: “Friends
Wanted.” He soon discovers that the other animals in the forest are reluctant
to become his friends because he is just “too prickly.” If they come to close
they are likely to get “needled, nettled, prickled,” which, not surprisingly,
they are not too keen on.
Elmore’s quills
are proving to be a problem but they are there for a reason. They protect him,
and his uncle reminds him that Elmore “wouldn’t be a porcupine without quills.”
His quills are beautiful and he should value them.
Elmore’s uncle’s
kind words warm him, and they also give him an idea.
So many people
find it hard to fit in because they are different in some way. How do you get
people to accept you when they won’t even give you a chance? What do you do when
they write you off from the get go? This wonderful book explores how one
determined porcupine finds a way to show the animals in his world what he is
like on the inside. After all, that is the part of an animal, or a person, that
really matters. Being prickly on the outside does not mean you are prickly all
the way through.
Readers who
enjoyed the Puddle and Toot books are going to love this beautiful new title
from Holly Hobbie.
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