Meet Ira Crumb. He’s the new kid in town. He knows what that means: when the new school year starts, he’ll play alone at recess, eat alone at lunch, and walk home alone at the end of the day. So Ira launches a whole-hearted campaign to befriend neighborhood kids before the first day. But his best-laid plans — A sandwich stand! A dance-off! — fall flat, and playing it cool doesn’t seem to work either.

Just as Ira decides school will be HORRIBLE, a comical misunderstanding connects him with Malcolm, who was the new kid last year and totally gets it — and who, it turns out, will make a pretty good friend.

Full of comedic touches, comics-style storytelling, and a diverse cast of quirky characters, this hilarious debut picture book puts an endearing spin on the anxiety that accompanies change and making friends.

Naseem Hrab is a writer and storyteller. She is the author of Ira Crumb Makes a Pretty Good Friend and Ira Crumb Feels the Feelings. Her comedy writing has appeared on McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and The Rumpus. Naseem worked as a librarian for a time and now works in children’s publishing. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

 

Naseem Hrab's profile page

 

Josh Holinaty détient un diplôme du Alberta College of Art & Design. Il a illustré de nombreux livres et ses illustrations ont été publiées entre autres dans Wired, The New York Times et The Walrus. Josh a grandi en Alberta avec ses frères et soeurs qui essayaient toujours de lui prendre ses croustilles. Maintenant, il vit à Toronto, en Ontario, où il peut [enfin] manger ses croustilles en paix.

 

Josh Holinaty graduated from the Alberta College of Art & Design and has created illustrations for clients such as The New York Times, Wired, and The Walrus. Josh is also the illustrator of A Beginner's Guide to Immortality: From Alchemy to Avatars and It's Catching. Originally from Alberta, he now lives in Toronto, Ontario.

 

Josh Holinaty's profile page

• Commended, Bank Street College of Education's list of Best Children's Books of the Year
• Commended, Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens

“A hilarious comic that presents the quest of finding a friend like it were an adventure.”

The Book Wars

"This story of a boy's anxiety about making friends will show readers that, many times, the best way to make a friend is to be yourself! A fast and fun read."

Booklist

"This story is perfect to be read to (or by) any young student entering a new town, school, or club."

Canadian Review of Materials

"Hrab, a former librarian, knows what makes kids laugh... But amid the laughter are some very good lessons about making friends that will undoubtedly help soothe the anxieties of many children."

Quill & Quire

"Ira Crumb would be an appropriate selection for five-to-eight-year-olds during the first week of school or when a new face appears in class."

Canadian Children’s Book News

"Will have young readers giggling... A fast-moving text that speaks to the fear children have about being the new kid anywhere in life, this title will be especially welcome on the shelves for back-to-school storytimes and shared readings."

School Library Journal

"Packed with wry whimsy... A valuable lesson in friendship."

Kirkus Reviews