Sockflea: A Stuffie in the Wild

In this high-energy picture book with a strong interpersonal dynamic, Dockrill (I Am Strong Just Being Me) and Byrne (This Skirt Won’t Work!) deliver an antic take on that eternal childhood tug-of-war between leaning into maturity and still needing comfort. Its young elephant protagonist, going on a first camping trip, insists they’re far too adult to take along a stuffie, despite a gentle nudge by their “stressy grown-up” to consider bedtime’s needs. Sure enough, when night falls “so dark. Like, so dark” after a perfect day, everything feels wrong—the bright moon, the slippery sleeping bag, the hard ground, and the unfamiliar sounds. “WHY DIDN’T YOU MAKE ME BRING MY STUFFIES?” the little one wails. Thinking fast, the harried-looking caretaker manufactures a floppy-eared comfort creature from two polkadotted socks, dubs it Sockflea, and creates a backstory that it was sent by the home stuffies to offer care. Happily falling asleep, the little elephant makes Sockflea their companion for the trip’s remainder. Emphatic text amusingly reveals adult and child perspectives, while digital cartooning feels as loose and bouncy as the elephant’s personality, with wobbly lines and watercolor-style washes that capture both daytime delights and the midnight meltdown. Ages 3–7. (Apr.)