Mole Is Not Alone

An invitation to a party at Rabbit’s sets off an agony of indecision for Mole that will be familiar to any reader acquainted with social anxiety. Soft colors and ample speech bubbles by Tatasukawa (Sunday Pancakes) follow Mole’s ruminations. “Maybe I will have fun,” thinks Mole, lying in bed. A plan to make cream puffs takes shape, and Mole soon sets off along underground tunnels for Rabbit’s, box in paw. Then worry takes over: “I never know what to say... it’s always so awkward.” The closer Mole gets to Rabbit’s house, the more tension mounts as the twists and turns of Mole’s path mirror the back and forth of the animal’s resolve (“AHHHH! This was a terrible idea!”). Mole is not the only one who’s reluctant to brave the gathering, however, and readers will share Mole’s relief as another guest also acknowledges preferring a quieter time. Tiny touches in the spreads reward careful looking, from the neatly stored blueprints in Mole’s cozy underground refuge to cutaways that reveal other animals’ preparations—it’s a story about anticipatory worry that ends not with forced revelry, but with a “Maybe... next time?” and gentle camaraderie found. Ages 4–8. Agent: Wendi Gu, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Oct.)