The Imposter

by Laura Bower, Kerisa Greene (Illustrator)

Overview

Olive loves her Mr. Snuggles more than anything else in the world. He's cuddly. Reliable. Perfect. And unfortunately . . . lost!

When Mr. Snuggles mysteriously reappears, Olive couldn't be more excited. They are back on track to being best friends forever. Except, something doesn't feel quite right. Mr. Snuggles is a little too clean and a little too fluffy. He's an imposter! And when Olive finds the shiny new box, the proof is undeniable. Now Olive must make room for more than one Mr. Snuggles in her heart or find a way to rid the Imposter from her life for good.

With charming illustrations that draw out the heart and humor of Olive's complicated relationship with the new Mr. Snuggles, The Imposter is sure to become a favorite bedtime or storytime read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781957655222
Publisher:	Gnome Road Publishing
Publication date:	03/05/2024
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	269,752
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Laura Bower lives in Westchester, New York with her husband, three kids and their loveys Puppy, Petunia and Nedburt, who have gone missing thousands of times over the years (most often right at bedtime). They have dealt with their fair share of imposters, but have figured out how to keep it real and all get along! When not reading or writing, Laura loves traveling to new places, live theatre, walking her dog Clover, and starting her morning with a strong cup of tea (necessary for the late night lovey searches). THE IMPOSTER is her debut picture book. Learn more about her at www.laurabowerauthor.com.

Kerisa Greene is an illustrator and author of titles such as I Am Both: A Vietnamese Refugee Story (releasing April, 2024). When she's not drawing or crafting stories, you can find Kerisa munching on chocolate chip cookies, exploring new places, or petting every dog that walks by. Kerisa's favorite stuffed animal growing up was a dolphin named Fins. You can visit her online at www.kerisagreene.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Excellent use of vignettes, white space, and a satisfying surprise ending ("Mr. Snuggles, meet Mr. Huggles") leave Olive and readers safe in the knowledge that there's always room for one more... A well-paced narrative that works for story hours or to have on the SEL shelves."
- Rebecca Kirshenbaum for The School Libray Journal

"With charming illustrations by Kerisa Greene that draw out the heart and humor of Olive's complicated relationship with the new Mr. Snuggles, "The Imposter" is the debut picture book by author/storyteller Laura Bower and is especially recommended as a bedtime or storytime read for children ages 3-7 and an ideal pick for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections."
- Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

04/01/2024

K-Gr 3—Olive loves "cuddly, reliable, perfect" Mr. Snuggles, a sort of doggy stuffed animal, more than anything else in the world; when he goes missing, she's more than a little distraught. Olive looks in all the usual spots and even hires a detective, who finds everything she's ever lost except Mr. Snuggles. When he finally reappears, "something didn't feel quite right." He's "a little TOO fluffy. He smelled a little TOO clean. And where was the extra-crusty spot behind his right ear?" Using a digitally rendered palette dominated by greens, grays, and browns, a spread in contrasting orange pops as Olive realizes that her found friend is an imposter given to her by her increasingly desperate family. Every parent who's ever had the bedtime panic that can only be induced by a missing stuffed friend will relate to Olive's predicament, and every child who has lost a beloved fluffy and not-so-great-smelling furry friend will sympathize as Olive, during a terrifying thunderstorm, reluctantly bonds with her imposter. Excellent use of vignettes, white space, and a satisfying surprise ending ("Mr. Snuggles, meet Mr. Huggles") leave Olive and readers safe in the knowledge that there's always room for one more. VERDICT A well-paced narrative that works for story hours or to have on the SEL shelves.—Rebecca Kirshenbaum

School Library Journal