Books like Strictly No Elephants
By Lisa Mantchev
For the kid who's ever felt like the odd one out in the group, this book shows what happens when he decides to start his own. Tender, quietly hopeful, with a soft emotional pull beneath the gentle humor.
A girl spends her best friend's last day in the neighborhood playing among moving boxes, watching the truck swallow up furniture and memories before saying a hard goodbye.
A Japanese girl moving into a new house spots an American girl playing in the snow outside, and though neither speaks the other's language, they team up to build a snow creature together.
A veterinarian heading off to serve in World War I rescues a baby bear at a train station, names her Winnie after his hometown, and brings her along to war — a true story that leads all the way to a boy named Christopher Robin.
A young Quaker boy on old Nantucket is trailed everywhere by a seagull he finds annoying — until the bird disappears on a cold winter day and Obadiah discovers he actually misses it.
An old mailman bikes through the forest every day delivering letters that mend friendships and spark invitations among the animals — though he alone never receives any mail, until one special letter finally arrives.
A fisherman's son who spends his days alone with six cats finds a baby whale washed up after a storm and secretly brings it home to care for it — until it needs the sea again.
A pampered tabby cat named Oliver is used to being the only pet in the house — until a baby rabbit named Marshmallow moves in and slowly, charmingly, wins him over.
After finding a message in a bottle, a curious troll and his friend raft out to Lonely Island, hit a storm at sea, and are rescued by a resourceful new friend named Too-Ticky.
A friendly zookeeper who's always on time oversleeps and misses his bus, putting a surprise he planned for his animal friends in jeopardy — so they set out to help him.
A small creature tries everything to fit in with the others, but he's different and just doesn't belong — until a strange Something shows up wanting to be his friend.
Eight little ballerinas practice plié, relevé, and jeté together in perfect step until Miss Lina introduces a ninth dancer, Regina, and their tidy rows suddenly fall into disarray.
A big friendly bear heads to the swimming hole and notices someone shy rustling in the trees and scampering through the brush — who could this mysterious new creature be?
