A Newcomer in Pocketville

Written & illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz

Book #1 in the Monti and Leo series

A new person comes to town and shakes up the routine of a resident who must learn to adapt and make new friends.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 117 ratings

80 pages· 1,520 words· Est. 17 min read

$16.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In Pocketville, Monti the mole finds his favorite reading spot taken by Leo, a new lizard in town. As Monti navigates missing cinnamon rolls and checked-out books, he discovers Leo's friendly nature. Together, they must win over the skeptical Ms. Sheep and prove that being different doesn't mean being alone. Can they change the town's perspective and forge lasting friendships?

From the publisher

A charming early reader in graphic form draws on the classic theme of friendship to show that being new–or different–doesn’t have to mean being lonely. Pocketville is a small town, set in its ways, and the arrival of a stranger causes a stir. Monti the mole is stunned one morning to find Leo the lizard hogging his special reading rock. When Monti visits the bakery and the library, he learns that the last cinnamon roll has been purchased, and the book he was waiting for has been checked out. What’s a fastidious mole to do? When Monti confronts Leo, the newcomer turns out to be agreeable in the extreme, and friendship is a given. Now to convince the town’s cantankerous baker, Ms. Sheep, to stop turning everyone against Leo. Together, Monti and Leo hatch a plot that will have Ms. Sheep singing Leo’s praises in no time. This reassuring tale of friendship against the odds from the creator of the graphic memoir Sylvie draws on the author’s experiences as an immigrant and will appeal to anyone who has struggled to fit in in a new place.

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