If You Liked Stellaluna
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-- School Library Journal, 3/28/2007
Knowing that you are loved is wonderful, but even that cannot always help young ones get over feeling different. Janell Cannon's now-classic picture book, Stellaluna (Harcourt, 1993), tells the story of a baby bat who desperately tries to fit in with an adoptive bird family. When she is finally discovered by her mother, her seemingly odd behaviors are now normal. The following titles carry the same reassuring message of acceptance of both old and new habits.
BANG, Molly. Goose. illus. by author. Scholastic/Blue Sky. 1996. Tr $10.95. ISBN 978-0-590-89005-2.
PreS-Gr 3–Small in size but not in impact, readers will delight in this story of a goose that is raised by woodchucks. The gosling is loved, but feels different and out of kilter. Her sadness is deep, and she is inconsolable. When a misstep sends her off a cliff, she learns to fly and gleefully returns to her woodchuck family. A gentle and affirming read, with many humorous illustrations that bear close examination.
RAWLINSON, Julia. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves. illus. by Tiphanie Beeke. HarperCollins/Greenwillow. 2006. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-113401-2.
PreS-Gr 2–Rawlinson's sweet, simple text combines perfectly with Beeke's pastel illustrations to create a lovely story of a young fox concerned about the failing health of his favorite tree. Even after Fletcher's mother tells him, "It's only autumn," he desperately tries to reattach fallen leaves and keep other creatures from using them as bedding. A glittering surprise is in store for him (and readers) on the final pages, and Fletcher is reassured that his tree is just fine.
WALSH, Ellen Stoll. For Pete's Sake. illus. by author. Harcourt. 1998. RTE $15. ISBN 978-0-15-200324-1.
PreS-Gr 2–Pete is just like the other flamingos–except that he is green, has four legs, and is very, very short. His pink, long-legged, feathered friends assure him that he is fine–just a late bloomer! Walsh's wonderful cut-paper collage illustrations make it easy for young listeners to see the differences in Pete and the other flamingos, and they will all see the similarities when Pete meets a group of "flamingos" that look just like him. A comforting read-aloud that is sure to prompt discussion.
Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors of NoveList, NoveList K-8, and Book Index with Reviews (BIR), leading resources for readers' advisory services and collection development. For more information, see epnet.com.
