Scribbleville by Peter Holwitz

Illustrated by 40 p., Philomel, 2005. Although people are often uncomfortable with others who seem different from themselves, they can learn to appreciate diversity. This is the story of the town of Scribbleville, where everyone is scribbled, even the dogs and cats. One day, a stick-straight man arrives and builds himself a perfectly straight house. Most of the scribble people shake their heads and talk about how the stranger doesn't belong. They worry that more straight people might move to town, and then "there'll be more of them than there are of us!" But one scribbled woman becomes the stranger's friend. As she says to another friend, "on the outside he's odd, but that's not where I look." Belying the other townspeople's "us vs. them" mentality, she becomes a little straighter, and he becomes a little more scribbly. A similar kind of change appears in others in Scribbleville, starting with its children. The (former) stranger and the woman marry. And the entire appearance of Scribbleville changes. It has become a place where "whoever you are, you'll fit in well." This delightfully-illustrated rhyming story conveys a positive message about the value of diversity and hope for change. Ages 4-8