Pomelo’s Big Adventure

Pomelo the elephant’s fourth outing is perhaps the most traditional of any of his books, but, rest assured, it’s every bit as eccentric as its predecessors. Ready to see new places, Pomelo packs a knapsack and sets forth, eventually trading in for a windup car and meeting a large elephant he dubs Papamelo and a strange starfish-like creature. Badescu conveys the nervousness and anxiety that can come with traveling solo, and tiny, pink Pomelo remains a quirky, comic hero. Some of the more cerebral and adult observations, though (“We take many risks in life, of course, but Pomelo seems to have plunged into a world ruled by chance”), may zoom past young readers. Ages 4–8. (June)