"[Offers] hope that the world can be beautiful place." --School Library Journal
Elba has a big block. She's been dragging it around for a long time. It makes her walk slowly. It makes her think darkly. It is heavy.
Norris dances everywhere he goes, even uphill. He is always surrounded by a happy cloud of butterflies.
When the two meet, Norris wants Elba to accompany him on a trip to the ocean. But she just wants to sit on her block.
"I feel something in there," Norris says.
"What?" asks Elba, who doesn't feel a thing.
"Something sad," says Norris. "I think it wants to come out."
In time, Elba agrees to let Norris help her carry her block. Is it possible that once they finally reach the shore, Elba's block has grown smaller?
This tender exploration of grief will resonate with anyone who has experienced hardship, sensitively demonstrating the healing power of a friend who can see, listen, sit with, and love us through all our feelings.