Iced Out

At Miss Blubber's School for Arctic Mammals, Wilfred the Narwhal and Neville the Walrus are the odd ones out. No-one wants to sit with them at lunchtime and they never get picked for any teams, so mornings before school and Sunday evenings are filled with dread.

Yet, one day, Betty the Beluga starts school, and she's awesome. Everyone wants to be Betty's friend, but she's not particularly interested in being part of the cool gang. Neville and Wilfred develop a huge crush on the independent, confident Beluga – but Betty doesn't need a boyfriend. She'd much rather just be the best of friends.

C K Smouha and Isabella Bunnell's tremendous book about building confidence in yourself is an absolutely stunning work of beauty, heartfelt feeling and a celebration of independence.

Not only does Betty's arrival inspire Wilfred and Neville to become more comfortable in their own skins, but she also takes pains to point out that just because she's a girl, it doesn't mean she has any desire to be protected or to be anyone's girlfriend.

This empowering, super-cute read is a must for all children, whether they feel like the odd-one-out or not.