Defense Mechanisms! Playing Possum by Jennifer Black Reinhardt

ALFRED WAS A POSSUM, AND WHEN A POSSUM FEELS NERVOUS, IT FREEZES AND PLAYS DEAD.

The well-known defense mechanism of freezing in place among possums is a real problem for Alfred in school. Taking tests and answering questions out loud leave him stiff as a board. To try to make friends is unthinkable. But one day he discovers he is not alone.

Sofia is an armadillo. When an armadillo feels anxious, it rolls into a ball. And when Sofia sees Alfred looking at her in the the library, she curls up, nose to tail and stays that way for a while. That makes Alfred so nervous that he falls down flat and still, too. But in the quiet of the library, no one notices, and when the two shrinking violets grow calmer, they relax.

THEY REALIZED THAT THEY HAD SOMETHING IN COMMON.

SO! Alfred and Sofia realize that they are not the only ones who become immobilized by anxiety! Little by little, they get used to each other's strange behaviors. Of course, it take a lot of patience to be friends, but they make the best of it. Sofia uses Alfred's stiff, outstretched arms to hold her yarn while she knits. Alfred doodles on his drawing pad while Sofia curls into a ball beside him.

And then they make a real discovery. Other animals use the same defense to react to anxious feelings. Fainting goats flop over flat when frightened. Tortoises withdraw all their moving parts into their shells. Hedgehogs go all roly-poly, and blowfish puff up into prickle-ish globes with fins. Porcupines sling spines and skunks shoot stink. Chameleons and octopi change their skins into camouflage colors!

And then--what if others who feel anxious just don't show it on the outside, but feel it very much on the inside? That's a comforting thought that makes new situations easier to manage.

Handling fears and social anxieties that come with going to school and a lot of other life situations is the serious subject of Jennifer Black Reinhardt's latest,  Playing Possum (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Clarion), 2020). Author-illustrator Reinhardt's low-keyed narration is set off beautifully and with humor in her charmingly comic but lovely mixed media  illustrations in this reassuring story for youngsters who find the mixing and mingling of life intimidating. Reinhardt rounds out this lively read-aloud with an informational picture glossary of her featured supporting cast of scaredy-cat critters. 

Says Publishers Weekly, "The author’s minimal text leaves the primary storytelling role to her gently dappled, luminous mixed-media art, which features springtime hues and an anthropomorphized cast. Notes on the spotlighted animals’ self-protective behaviors cap this sensitive tale." 

Picky Picky! But I Don't Eat Ants by Dan Marvin

I AM AN ANTEATER.

BUT I DON'T EAT ANTS.

KOALAS AREN'T CALLED EUCALYPTUS EATERS.

JAGUARS EAT ANTEATERS, BUT THEY AREN'T CALLED ANTEATER EATERS!

What do you call an anteater who won't eat ants?

This little anteater can't be called a picky eater! In fact, he's quite the omnivore!

Tortellini is totally terrific! Liverwurst is the best wurst!

Noodles and strudels are consumed by the oodles! Antipasta is awesome, but hold the ants!

His anteater aunts try to set him a good example, guzzling their daily Formicidae. But he prefers burgers and fries!

What's an anteater mama to do to get her kid to eat what she puts on his plate? But this mother is wise; she sneaks in a subtle compromise.

A zesty little garnish on his salad??

"MOM! WHAT ARE THESE?"

Mom looks a bit smug as she reveals the origin of those piquant crispy toppings. Would you believe... fire ants?

YUM! They are delish! He will eat them here and there; he will eat them anywhere! (Thanks, Dr. Seuss!)

Dan Marvin's new But I Don't Eat Ants (Pow Books, 2017) pokes fun at picky eaters, while purposefully parsing the many types of tastes out there. Young reluctant tasters may take some comfort in Marvin's character who thinks eating ants is just weird, until he tries one type that is definitely to his taste. Kelly Fry's illustrations are colorfully executed with just the right soupcon of silliness that just suits the tale of an anteater who chows down on everything but eschews eating ants! And with the mention of unusual foods such as gazpacho and tortellini, finger foods like stuffed olives, and exotic dishes like escargot, this book is perfect for the necessary class unit on food and for the tasting party that often often follows.

Share this one with the ever-popular Green Eggs and Ham and Jan Yolen's and Mark Teague's How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? (Book & CD). (see review here.)