Maybe Tomorrow? (A story about loss, healing, and friendship)

by Charlotte Agell, Ana Ramirez Gonzalez (Illustrator)

Overview

This affectionate, deeply soothing story exemplifies how to comfort someone who is hurting. A wonderful gift for any occasion, perfect for fans of The Rabbit Listened.

"[Offers] hope that the world can be beautiful place." —School Library Journal

Elba has a big block. She's been dragging it around for a long time. It makes her walk slowly. It makes her think darkly. It is heavy.

Norris dances everywhere he goes, even uphill. He is always surrounded by a happy cloud of butterflies.

When the two meet, Norris wants Elba to accompany him on a trip to the ocean. But she just wants to sit on her block.

“I feel something in there,” Norris says.

“What?” asks Elba, who doesn’t feel a thing.

“Something sad,” says Norris. “I think it wants to come out.”

In time, Elba agrees to let Norris help her carry her block. Is it possible that once they finally reach the shore, Elba’s block has grown smaller?

This tender exploration of grief will resonate with anyone who has experienced hardship, sensitively demonstrating the healing power of a friend who can see, listen, sit with, and love us through all our feelings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338214888
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/26/2019
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Charlotte Agell was born in Norsjo, Sweden, and grew up in Montreal, Canada. She is the mother of two grown children and is a retired public-school teacher living in Maine. Charlotte is the author and illustrator of several picture books, chapter books, and young adult fiction published in Canada and abroad. Her Scholastic Press debut, Maybe Tomorrow? was hailed by School Library Journal as a story that offers “hope that the world can be beautiful place.” Learn more at charlotteagell.com.

Ana Ramírez González worked as a visual development artist on Pixar’s Academy Award–winning film Coco and illustrated the companion picture book Coco: Miguel and the Grand Harmony. She grew up in Guanajuato, Mexico, and lives in Oakland, California. Ana is also the illustrator of the picture books Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea, A Sled for Gabo, and Maybe Tomorrow?

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Maybe Tomorrow?:

"[Offers] hope that the world can be beautiful place...an excellent purchase." —School Library Journal

"Demonstrate[s] the power of patience, listening, and simply showing up when loved ones are navigating difficult emotions. Ramírez González's illustrations... utilize bright, textured colors, simple rounded shapes, and subtle yet eloquent facial expressions to sweetly emphasize the characters' emotional journey. A poignant exploration of depression, grief, and friendship. —Kirkus Reviews

"Norris the alligator is optimism personified... Elba, a pink hippo, couldn't be more different...With Norris's gentle prodding and willingness to befriend her as she is, Elba reveals that she is mourning the loss of her dear friend, Little Bird...Norris seems to instinctively know how to help his new pal without encroaching on her emotional boundaries; his patient demeanor and her quiet emergence become the story's narrative. Ramírez González's sunny digitized watercolors echo this hopeful mood with a lightness and energy." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2018-11-26

Cheerful green alligator Norris attempts to befriend Elba, a pink hippo burdened by a mysterious black block.

Norris may initially appear to be a suspiciously friendly predator, but, as evidenced by the cloud of butterflies that accompanies him everywhere, he is genuinely considerate. He finds Elba sitting on her block in the park and invites her on a picnic, then continues to check in with her after she declines. Elba is surprised when Norris joins her in sitting on her block, telling her he feels "something [sad] in there" and that "it wants to come out." "Maybe tomorrow," he says after they sit in silence each day. With Norris' patient encouragement—observe his hopeful smile as they drink tea in the rain!—Elba soon agrees to visit the ocean with him, though she doubts she can make it that far with her block: "It's too heavy….Right?" she asks, which he does not deny, instead responding, "My butterflies and I will help you." As they slowly walk to the ocean, Elba finally opens up to Norris about the deep sadness her block represents. His empathetic response and its surprising result demonstrate the power of patience, listening, and simply showing up when loved ones are navigating difficult emotions. Ramírez's illustrations, done in a combination of traditional and digital media, utilize bright, textured colors, simple rounded shapes, and subtle yet eloquent facial expressions to sweetly emphasize the characters' emotional journey.

A poignant exploration of depression, grief, and friendship. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews