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.

- Deals with the challenge of making new friends

- Endearing character full of personality, humour, and heart

- Elements of comic-style storytelling support reading on different levels