The Imaginoodles

Anthropomorphized hedgehog Henry retreats into a protective ball when overwhelmed, prefers to read about adventures than to have them, and really doesn’t want to meet the new kid next door (“He’s probably going to think I’m the biggest dork on earth”). And Henry’s fears seem justified when the neighbor, headstrong chipmunk Chester, insists on rambunctious pretend play (“This mound of dirt is a volcano ready to EXPLODE!”). After the hedgehog, having reality-checked a number of Chester’s imagined scenarios (about the Sleeping Mountains—“These are just little rocks”), finally confesses to a fear of being judged, Chester isn’t having it: “Imagination isn’t about being ‘cool.’ It’s about being silly and not caring what anyone else thinks.” So Henry gives it a tentative whirl—and comes up with an “amazing” voracious sock monster who wants to eat Chester, necessitating a brilliant rescue. If Chester’s steamroller antics initially come on strong, all-dialogue text from Eliopoulos (The Yawns Are Coming!) is funny and knowing, the comics-style action moves at a fast clip, and Henry seems genuinely pleased to discover his place among the most exuberant of pretenders. Ages 4–8. (July)