A heartwarming story about loss, healing, and how to be a friend during hard times.
This tender exploration of loss illuminates the sustaining power of kindness, empathy, and friendship. It will resonate with anyone who has experienced hardship or grief, from the death of a loved one or a pet, to the transition to a new home, family situation, or learning environment. It is especially comforting during this time of social distancing and the uncertainty around what the future holds, sensitively demonstrating that we are stronger together.
"[Offers] hope that the world can be beautiful place...an excellent purchase." --School Library Journal
"Demonstrate[s] the power of patience, listening, and simply showing up." --Kirkus Reviews
Elba has a big block. She's been dragging it around for a long time.
Norris dances everywhere he goes, even uphill. He is always surrounded by a happy cloud of butterflies.
Can Norris and his butterflies help ease Elba's sadness and convince her to join them on a trip to the ocean?
Charlotte Agell was born in Norsjo, Sweden, and grew up in Montreal, Canada. She is the mother of two grown children and works as a teacher in Saco, Maine. She is the author and illustrator of several picture books, chapter books, and young adult fiction published in Canada and abroad.
Ana Ramírez González fell in love with
Maybe Tomorrow? on the first read. "I felt Elba's burden and Norris's kindness in a way that was very personal. The text pulled at my heart because it resonated with something I was experiencing at that time. I felt like fate brought this project to me, and creating the pictures has been healing." Ana worked as a visual development artist on Pixar's Oscar-winning film
Coco and illustrated the companion picture book
Coco: Miguel and the Grand Harmony. She grew up in Guanajuato, Mexico, and lives in Oakland, California.
Praise for Maybe Tomorrow?:"[Offers] hope that the world can be beautiful place...an excellent purchase." --School Library Journal"Demonstrate[s] the power of patience, listening, and simply showing up when loved ones are navigating difficult emotions. Ramírez González's illustrations... utilize bright, textured colors, simple rounded shapes, and subtle yet eloquent facial expressions to sweetly emphasize the characters' emotional journey. A poignant exploration of depression, grief, and friendship. --Kirkus Reviews"Norris the alligator is optimism personified... Elba, a pink hippo, couldn't be more different...With Norris's gentle prodding and willingness to befriend her as she is, Elba reveals that she is mourning the loss of her dear friend, Little Bird...Norris seems to instinctively know how to help his new pal without encroaching on her emotional boundaries; his patient demeanor and her quiet emergence become the story's narrative. Ramírez González's sunny digitized watercolors echo this hopeful mood with a lightness and energy." --Publishers Weekly
Praise for Maybe Tomorrow?:"[Offers] hope that the world can be beautiful place...an excellent purchase." --School Library Journal"Demonstrate[s] the power of patience, listening, and simply showing up when loved ones are navigating difficult emotions. Ramírez González's illustrations... utilize bright, textured colors, simple rounded shapes, and subtle yet eloquent facial expressions to sweetly emphasize the characters' emotional journey. A poignant exploration of depression, grief, and friendship. --Kirkus Reviews"Norris the alligator is optimism personified... Elba, a pink hippo, couldn't be more different...With Norris's gentle prodding and willingness to befriend her as she is, Elba reveals that she is mourning the loss of her dear friend, Little Bird...Norris seems to instinctively know how to help his new pal without encroaching on her emotional boundaries; his patient demeanor and her quiet emergence become the story's narrative. Ramírez González's sunny digitized watercolors echo this hopeful mood with a lightness and energy." --Publishers Weekly
