These picture books will help kids fit in

All of us feel out of place from time to time. Some have it worse than others, though. Eliot Schrefer looks at four picture books starring some adorable creatures who don't quite fit in — until they do.

Yeti and the Bird

Written and illustrated by Nadia Shireen

Atheneum Books, 32 pp., for ages 4-8

**** out of four

A giant white teardrop of a beast, Yeti is the loneliest monster around. Until, that is, a lost tropical bird drops in. It's a joy to witness pensive Yeti making a new friend, as is watching him learn that he belongs somewhere. The striking visual contrast between Yeti and the bird makes every page a treat, enlivening what might otherwise have been a melancholy story. Each page has a strikingly different palette, accentuating a range of feelings from isolation to coziness. Kids who themselves feel lonely or worried will be glad to hug Yeti and the Bird to their chests.

Wolfie the Bunny

Written by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah OHora

Little, Brown, 40 pp., for ages 3-6

*** ½

A more comic take on not belonging is the story of Wolfie and his rabbit sister, Dot. When the Bunny family returns home to find a cute baby wolf on their doorstep, the parents are overjoyed. But sister Dot knows all about wolves and proclaims, "He's going to eat us all up!" Her suspicions of her new canine sibling only grow, and Dot's scowls are expressively rendered as she becomes more and more alarmed. Ultimately, though, this works out to be a sunny reversal of the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing yarn. A Brooklyn setting (including a shopping trip to the Carrot Patch Co-op) and hand-rendered text add whimsy to this tale of rivalry, with which any big sibling can identify.

Red: A Crayon's Story

Written and illustrated by Michael Hall

Greenwillow Books, 40 pp., for ages 4-8

***

Feeling out of place isn't exactly new ground for picture books (hello, Ugly Duckling!), but this story of mistaken identity has a simple yet profound premise that makes it feel fresh again. Red is a crayon whose wrapper doesn't match his color — the images he draws on each page are blue. Though he earnestly tries again and again to color red (to great comic effect, as his fellow crayons look on in dismay), it isn't until Red meets a wise purple crayon that he realizes he was blue all along. The crayons are starkly rendered on colorless backgrounds, which makes the story's warmth and emotional impact all the more surprising. There's a welcome depth to this tale, which might otherwise have fallen back on cleverness.

Worst in Show

Written by William Bee, illustrated by Kate Hindley

Candlewick, 40 pp., for ages 3-7

*** ½

A televised competition is being held to name the world's best pet monster, and Albert is sure that his will fit the bill perfectly. His monster — big and hairy, with dainty horns and a freckled complexion — is an adorable presence on the page. But adorable is the worst thing for a monster to be in a competition whose categories include "Hairiest Warts" and "Most Parasites." The irony at the heart of Worst in Show — that Sidney's terribleness at being a monster is what makes her such a great friend to Albert — is directed just at the right level for kids. But the real pleasure here is in the intricate illustrations, full of witty treats that will make reading (and re-reading, and re-reading) a pleasure. Parents, beware!

Eliot Schrefer is a two-time National Book Award Finalist for his young-adult novels Endangered and Threatened.