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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
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English
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ELBERT IN THE AIR

Monica Wesolowska Jerome Pumphrey

A heartwarming story about unconditional love and rising above those who stand in the way of being who you are.
Shortly after he is born, Elbert floats up into the air. Before long, his mother must stand on her tip toes to reach him and tosses toys into the air at playtime. Although everyone in town from the school nurse to the mayor is full of advice for keeping her boy down, Elbert's mother knows her son is meant to float. And so, she lets him.

But as life becomes more and more difficult for a floating boy, and people understand him less and less, Elbert has to make a decision to stay bound to the ground or float higher in the hopes of finding the world -and community- he's always wished for.

Monica Wesolowska is the author of the memoir Holding Silvan: A Brief Life and the picture book Leo + Lea. She teaches creative writing at UC Berkeley Extension and Stanford Continuing Studies and lives in Berkeley with her husband and two boys.

Jerome Pumphrey is a designer, illustrator, and writer. He studied graphic design at the Art Institute of Austin and has worked as a technical writer, freelance graphic designer, and illustrator. Since 2016 he has been a graphic designer at The Walt Disney Company where he uses design and illustration to visually tell stories in print, digital, and immersive experiences for Disney global business development. Together with his brother, Jarrett, Jerome is a creator multiple books, including The Old Truck, The Old Boat, and Creepy Things Are Scaring Me. Jerome lives in Florida with his family.
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Published 2023-02-21 by Dial Books for Young Readers

Comments

OH, THE BOOKS WE LOVE posted a rave Instagram review of ELBERT IN THE AIR, calling it "entertaining & heartwarming" Read more...

Susie Wilde from IGNITING WRITING posted a rave Instagram reel on GEEMS' GEMS highlighting ELBERT IN THE AIR as a top re-reading recommendation: "...for children & parents who ready for an unconventional hero starting in a story of unconditional love." Read more...

LET'S TALK PICTURE BOOKS ran a Q&A with Jerome Pumphrey and featured his illustration process and early sketches for a review for ELBERT IN THE AIR. Read more...

WACKY MOMMY featured ELBERT IN THE AIR in a roundup of new titles releasing in January: "Elbert cannot help it, he has to be up in the air. His mom understands, and together, they make it work." Read more...

Pumphrey's art... is at once lighthearted and whimsical, warm and evocative, with subdued hues, varied compositions, and gentle yet perpetual motion. A unique and uplifting celebration of individuality and unconditional love.

Featuring the unconditional, iridescent love of a caregiver and Elbert's own stoic nature, this is a stellar purchase for every picture book collection.

A transcendent journey for families seeking affirming representations of those who march to their own beats.

Monica Wesolowska read the first few pages of ELBERT IN THE AIR on KALW Public Media (San Francisco NPR affiliate) New Arrivals Podcast ! Read more...

The ending... underscores a dilemma faced by any minority group: how do you bond with those who share your experience without the majority characterizing you as other? It's an ending that could certainly spark some guided conversation, but readers can also just appreciate Elbert's consistently compassionate mother and his new group of friends.

A great book about being who you are despite the odds and suggestions from others to change.

THE NEW YORK TIMES featured ELBERT IN THE AIR on its newly published books list, calling the "effervescent parable" both "whimsical and relatable, thanks to Wesolowska's warm anecdotal language and Pumphrey's lighthearted art". Read more...

Wesolowska writes a warming story of loving someone just the way they are.