Morris Mole by Dan Yaccarino

Harper, 2017. ISBN 9780062411075
Morris Mole is the youngest of the eight mole brothers, and because he is a little different - they go to work in their hard hats with their shovels while he looks like the town dandy; they eat at a communal bench while Morris prefers fine dining; and they share a bed while he has his own - they tend to ignore him.
And so it is when the biggest brother announces that they have run out of food. Even though Morris says he has an idea, he is ignored and the brothers start to dig even deeper than before. Morris's idea was to dig UPWARDS - and so he does. Even though it frightened him he found his courage built on his belief that even though he was small, nevertheless he could still do big things. And what a wonderful world he discovered when he broke through the surface. Full of treasures and treats until . . .
Young children will enjoy hearing this story where smart thinking overcomes physical size but be prepared to answer their questions about why the wolf left Morris alone. They might even be able to predict answers - perhaps wolves don't have moles in their dietary plan. The bold computer-generated illustrations are interesting, contrasting the underground and above-ground worlds well and the message of small things being able to achieve big things will empower them.
Barbara Braxton