Elbert in the Air
by Monica Wesolowska; illus. by Jerome Pumphrey
Primary    Dial    40 pp.
2/23    9780593325209    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593325216    $10.99

One day, baby Elbert floats happily up and out of his crib. His mother takes this surprising ability in stride, disregarding ­unsolicited advice (involving a butterfly net, glue, and other traps) and instead trusting her instinct: “If Elbert was born to float, I will let him.” As he grows older, life gets more complicated, but Elbert meets each challenge with grace and ingenuity, and with his mom as his champion (“If Elbert was born to float, you should let him!”). At school he drifts to the ceiling of the classroom but figures out how to deliver assignments via paper airplane; his classmates creatively modify their playground games for his participation. However, as time passes, adults remain hostile, calling him a distraction and a disturbance. Elbert, misunderstood and lonely, starts to float higher away than ever before. But a midair care package provides sustenance, physically and emotionally, and Elbert presses onward and upward to a place where, rewardingly, he finds his people. Pumphrey’s art, which was “created digitally and includes textures created with ­tea-stained paper,” is at once lighthearted and whimsical, warm and evocative, with subdued hues, varied compositions, and gentle yet perpetual motion. A unique and uplifting celebration of individuality and unconditional love.

From the January/February 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.