Dodo

Though it's not ultimately clear why, Laila doesn't go to school, and she's desperate for friends. There's a lot of turmoil in her home, and she picks up only bits and pieces of heated arguments between her separated parents. When she spots a mysterious purple dodo in the park across the street, she thinks she's finally found a new friend, and she sneaks him cake and hides him under her bed. But as the tension between her parents reaches a fever pitch, the bird tears through her house, eating appliances and destroying her father's office. Nunes' shadowy, sketch-heavy artwork compellingly evokes mood, particularly when the dodo, Ralph, wreaks havoc in Laila's home, and the explosive images of Ralph's rampage parallel the wreckage of her family life in the wake of her parents' stormy breakup. The narrative arc might be a little tough for younger readers to pick out from the panels, but the emotional cues of Laila's experience, particularly how scary and alienating emotional turmoil and upheaval can be, may resonate with some.--Sarah Hunter Copyright 2018 Booklist