Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma by Jenny Alvarado (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 67 pages, grades K-2). When Penciil discovers she’s lost her point, she’s ready to go on an adventure to find a sharpener. Eraser serves as both sidekick and voice of reality, keeping Pencil’s wild schemes in check. When they find out the classroom sharpener is broken, they’re forced to venture down the hall to another class. The pressure’s on to get back before recess is over, but they make it just in time…only to have Eraser discover there was a small sharpener in their pencil case all along. Includes step-by-step instructions for drawing Pencil and Eraser.

Fans of Pizza and Taco will enjoy this silly graphic novel, and the large font and short amount of text on each page makes it a good choice for those ready to take the next step from Elephant and Piggie.

Stella & Marigold by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Chronicle Books, 101 pages, ages 6-9). Stella and Marigold are sisters, ages 7 and 4, who have been close friends ever since the day Marigold came home from the hospital. Their story is told in seven chapters, each of which could be read on its own. Marigold has a mind of her own and can’t always understand why adults don’t get why she drops her hairclip down the drain or gets lost in the meerkat tunnel at the zoo. Stella serves as a sort of go-between, interpreting the world for Marigold and helping the grown-ups understand the perspective of a four-year-old. But it’s Marigold who uses her cuteness and her fearlessness to help Stella when a second-grade best friend makes a new friend. The last chapter is a funny homage to the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and shows both girls using their active imaginations at full power.

This new book from the Ivy and Bean author and illustrator will undoubtedly be a series starter. The reading level is a bit high for a book about characters under the age of eight, and that combined with the stand-alone nature of each chapter and the adorable full-color illustrations make it feel more like a read-aloud than a book for early independent reading. It’s sure to be a holiday gift this year from many parents and grandparents.

Orris and Timble: The Beginning by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick, 76 pages, grades K-3). Orris the rat lives in a comfortable nest inside the old wall of an abandoned barn. One night he hears a snap and discovers an owl named Timble has gotten his foot caught in an old mouse trap. After wrestling with his conscience, Orris helps free Timble, sharing the story of the lion and the mouse to try to discourage Timble from eating him. Timble, who seems to have missed the memo that owls are supposed to be wise, brings Orris a butterscotch candy and asks for more stories. By the end of the book, Orris is willing to admit that the two have become friends.

As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m not a big Kate DiCamillo fan and have pretty much given up reading her books. This one was donated to my library, so I decided to make an exception. It’s a cute story with beautiful illustrations, supposedly the first in a planned trilogy (book 2 is slated for April of next year), and would make a good side-by-side read-aloud with Jerry Pinkney’s The Lion and the Mouse. It lacks the humor and cast of quirky characters of the Mercy Watson series, but more introverted, introspective early readers will appreciate the quiet nature of this book.