That’s Not Normal by Mar Pavon and Laure du Fay - ESSENTIAL

That’s Not Normal by Mar Pavon and Laure du Fay. PICTURE BOOK. nubeOCHO, 2014. $16. 9788494431883

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL. 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Elephant has an unusually long trunk that he uses for all sorts of delightful purposes. He baths his kid, offers it as a ladder and a place to sleep, and much more. Hippopotamus is rude about it and constantly points out how not normal Elephant’s trunk is. One day, while teasing Elephant, Hippopotamus’s child runs off and is heading straight for the alligator infested lake. The only one who can get there in time is Elephant with his long trunk to save the kid. Hippopotamus apologizes and friendship ensues. 

This book does a great job of addressing bullying, but I love that the message isn’t just about bullying, but is also about using the things that are different about yourself for good. Elephant was not hiding his trunk, he was using it to help others. The pictures are bright and engaging and I think this book will appeal to a lot of readers. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher