WOWRUS LOOKS ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

Walrus always looks on the bright side…until he can’t.

Walrus is quick to cheer up his friends. “WOW!” he tells Musk Ox, who’s depressed at having to miss a fun outing due to illness. “On the bright side, you get to stay home and watch all your favorite shows.” He’s a chronic bright-sider (his friends even call him Wowrus) until he breaks off a tusk while playing a game with his pals. Walrus wants to find the silver lining, and his friends are eager to help (“Now you’ll only need half as much tuskpaste!”), but Narwhal asks him an important question: “Is looking for it making you feel better?” It isn’t, and Walrus realizes that there may not be a bright side right now. Though life with just one tusk is challenging, even painful, he comes to see that he will be OK. This story deftly reiterates to adults and children alike that it’s necessary to sit with discomfort. In a world that pushes toxic positivity, this is a refreshing and much-needed take. Walrus is adorable, whether with two tusks or one, with beady black eyes and soft rosy cheeks; his snowy environs and fellow arctic animals are equally sweet. Information on the animals depicted and an author’s note close out the story.

An important message for readers young and old, packaged just right.