Alien & Possum: Hanging Out - Hardcover

Tony Johnston is the renowned author of more than a hundred books for young readers. Her many award-winning books include The Iguana Brothers, illustrated by Mark Teague, and the Sparky and Eddie books, illustrated by Susannah Ryan. Tony lives with her family in San Marino, California. This is her second book with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Grade 2-3-Alien is unhappy because he is so different from the rest of the forest creatures. Possum tells him how special he is, and that it doesn't matter that Alien is hard, shiny, and metal while Possum is furry and soft. The dissimilar characters become friends and, in the next two stories, celebrate their birthdays together and hang from a tree, one upside down and the other right side up. Fans of DiTerlizzi's wonderful Jimmy Zangwow's Out-of-This-World Moon Pie Adventure (S & S, 2000) will love the amusing illustrations of these two pals and their antics. In spite of the easy-reader format, this book is better suited as a read-aloud as some of the vocabulary is quite difficult. A good choice to prompt discussion about self-acceptance.
Kristin de Lacoste, South Regional Public Library, Pembroke Pines, FL
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