No Huddles for Heloise

Written by Deborah Kerbel

Illustrated by Udayana Lugo

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-3910-6

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

March 2025 

I like Heloise. Heloise knows what she likes and doesn't like. She likes sledding and fish popsicles, sharing rocks with friends, and her own space. 

From No Huddles for Heloise, written by Deborah Kerbel, illustrated by Udayana Lugo

What she doesn't like, other than the leopard seals that no penguins like, are crowds and hullabaloo and those huddles that penguins do for warmth and protection. Those huddles that are just too close.

Huddles give Heloise the heebie-jeebies.

The jim-jams.

The willies.

And the collywobbles.

From No Huddles for Heloise, written by Deborah Kerbel, illustrated by Udayana Lugo

But how can she say no to the other penguins and not hurt their feelings? Typically, she has a number of excuses from taking her fish for a walk or polishing her rock collection. Heloise is perfectly happy on her own, enjoying her things, her space, and her own thoughts. 

From No Huddles for Heloise, written by Deborah Kerbel, illustrated by Udayana Lugo

But then the other penguins stop asking her to join them in huddles and Heloise begins to question her own wants and needs, and seeks companions elsewhere. Unfortunately, her travels are disappointing and even dangerous on her own and she returns home to find that her friends have found a way to accommodate her need for personal space while offering her the protection that huddles provide.

It's lovely to read a story about an introverted character who doesn't feel compelled to fit in with the extroverts or have the extroverts demand that their way of socializing and gregarious behaviour is preferable and, worse, the norm. I'm so glad Deborah Kerbel, an accomplished writer of picture books, middle grade and YA, demonstrates an acceptance of the introverted Heloise rather than sympathy for her nature. (The sympathy should be towards the attitude she experiences from those who are not introverted.) Instead, Deborah Kerbel validates the fullness of Heloise's life without the partying and closeness demanded or even just requested by her penguin peers. Heloise is a happy penguin, accepting of her nature and choices. She's never rude but she is true to her herself. Too bad that she feels like she doesn't belong because belonging does not mean being the same as others.

From No Huddles for Heloise, written by Deborah Kerbel, illustrated by Udayana Lugo

I love the positive messages that Deborah Kerbel gives us in No Huddles for Heloise, and BC's Udayana Lugo gives us the whimsy of that message in Heloise and her friends. From their accessories, like pom-pom hats, scarves, and bandanas, to props like a rock polisher or a whale stuffed animal, Udayana Lugo demonstrates the differences among the penguins are the norm and Heloise's introversion is just another manifestation of wonderful diversity. She created her art primarily using gouache and coloured pencils, which gives a bright and rich portrayal of the penguins and the landscape in which they live and play.

 

I'm with Heloise–except for the fish popsicles–that quiet and solitary activities offer comfort in ways that many extroverts will never understand. While we all must engage with others for safety, for work, or for other needs, it's lovely to see Heloise be accepted and even accommodated for her needs, not chastised for being different.

When Rabbit Was a Lion

Written and illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes

Owlkids Books

978-1-77147-518-1

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

August 2023

 

A rabbit in a red-striped shirt lives in the backyard of our narrator, a little girl with whom he sometimes has tea. Though Rabbit and the little girl know that he doesn't like parties, he wants to make one for his friends, whom he does like.

From When Rabbit Was a Lion, written and illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes

So invitations are sent out for a costume party and Rabbit busies himself cleaning and decorating, baking and preparing his own costume. And when the jitters pop in that his party might be a flop, his human friend asks him, "What if it's good?".

 

All Rabbit's friends arrive, costumed and lively. There is music and dancing, laughter and conversation, and he is so pleased that his friends are happy. But, though he does partake a little, it grows too loud and too boisterous for Rabbit and he slips away for a bit of quiet. His friends, realizing that Rabbit has withdrawn, find a way to have fun and include him without causing Rabbit discomfort.

From When Rabbit Was a Lion, written and illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes

This could be a picture book of restraint, in colour and in story, much as how an introvert such as Rabbit might be seen. But, Eugenie Fernandes knows that Rabbit is more than his introversion. He is also a friend, and enjoys the company of his friends, though in moderation. So, that joy of friendship comes through in Eugenie Fernandes's paintings, resplendent in joyful colours of warm yellows and greens, and bright in its diverse palette. Rabbit is not sad because he needs to withdraw; he is just taking care of himself. And isn't it nice that his friends are kind enough to want to make him happy too? Eugenie Fernandes's artwork tells us this.

From When Rabbit Was a Lion, written and illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes

Thank you, Eugenie Fernandes, for giving a sensitive and authentic voice to the many introverts who have had to fit into a predominantly extroverted world. As a strong introvert who has learned to fit in as needed and become more comfortable in social situations–and then withdrawing to my comfort zone in order to recover–When Rabbit Was a Lion speaks to me and undoubtedly to many children who've been told to be more social and that they need to get out more. Children need to see that not everyone craves attention and busyness, loudness and interaction. And they need to not be misunderstood because they are different from others in their circle. I'm very glad that Rabbit's friends are astute enough to realize that his need for quiet is not him being shy or angry, depressed or stuck-up, or even interpreted as a criticism of how they like to socialize. But socializing takes energy from introverts, unlike for extroverts who are energized by social interactions. For Rabbit, some quiet gives him fortitude. And by giving Rabbit the voice to speak his feelings and the friends who are willing to listen, Eugenie Fernandes has honoured the introverts who are so often overlooked.

Violet Shrink

Written by Christine Baldacchino

Illustrated by Carmen Mok

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-205-1

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

March 2020

Young people may not be familiar with the term "shrinking violet" which refers to those who are shy and uncomfortable in the limelight. But, thanks to Christine Baldacchino's titular character, they will soon learn to accept children who prefer solitude and quiet as just another difference that makes our world stronger with diversity.

From Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino, illus. by Carmen Mok

Like most people, there are some things that Violet likes and some things she doesn't. She doesn't like celery in her soup. She doesn't like brand-new crayons that break the first time they're used. (Who does?) But she also doesn't like parties. She likes some parts of parties, like cake and music, but all together with lots of loud people just makes her stomach ache and her head hurt.

From Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino, illus. by Carmen Mok

Her dad may use synonyms for parties like "reception" or "potluck" but ultimately Violet finds herself at parties with her dad telling her to just play with the other children and say hello to the adults.

It's not until she has to attend a "shindig" for her cousin that Violet finds an imaginative tactic to help her get through the event. Sadly her father does not understand, believing that it's good for her to get out among others; that is, until she tells him how she really feels about parties. Finally, he allows her to attend these events in a way that is comfortable for her.

From Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino, illus. by Carmen Mok

Introverts and shy persons know the unpleasantness of being thrust into loud and crowded social situations. Extroverts may thrive on social interactions but, for a small portion of the population, attending these events can be painful and anxiety-filled.  It's unfortunate that Violet has to spell it out to her father who should have seen how sensitive his daughter was to these circumstances, instead of finding new ways to trick her into attending events. It's a delicate subject for children to try to be themselves but contrary to requests of parents or teachers. Fortunately author Christine Baldacchino knows how to give children voice through her stories. In her debut picture book Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress (Groundwood, 2014), Christine Baldacchino gave a boy the freedom to enjoy imaginative play that had him sporting a tangerine dress. In Violet Shrink, she allows a little girl to be introverted or shy and still voice her need for quiet and solitude. The text never condemns those that prefer rollicking social events but Christine Baldacchino lets Violet recognize what she needs and then enlist her father's help in meeting those needs.

Carmen Mok's illustrations, a blend of gouache, coloured pencil and graphite pencil, provide a very sombre background to Violet's story, appropriate for a child who is thrust into anxiety-causing situations. Fortunately, there is much that is rosy in her life, from her purple-coloured headphones and the natural world of flowers, water and trees, which Carmen Mok makes colourful and bold and uplifting.

Not all children like being around lots of people and, with Violet Shrink, Christine Baldacchino and Carmen Mok have given introverts and shy children the opportunity to see themselves and be accepted as they are.