"Elephants do not belong in trees. It’s not natural. It makes other animals uncomfortable."

This is the story of Larry, an elephant who wanted to live in a tree. This is a story about being the new kid and being a little bit different (okay, A LOT different). A story about acceptance and making friends. When Larry decides he wants to live in the big bushy tree in the middle of the wide-open field, the current residents, Bird, Squirrel and Monkey, are not very welcoming. They throw nuts at him and peck at his head; they tell him to leave and are downright rude. But Larry persists—why can’t he live in the tree? When his new home is threatened by something much bigger than all the animals combined, Larry shows everyone that he cares just as much about the tree as they do.

Key Selling Points

• When a bulldozer comes along to knock the tree down, Larry is able to save the tree and the animals realize that having an elephant for a neighbor is actually pretty handy.
• A story about being different and finding acceptance and strength in your differences.
• This is a silly and sweet story with a subtly serious message. The text has lots of playful sounds and strong page turns. Willms uses onomatopoeia (words that sound like the word, e.g., boing, vroom) throughout the text.
• The author is well-known for his career in magazine and ad design and has a picture book calledSleigh Pullers Wanted with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Perfect for Mo Willems fans!