THE LOST GALUMPUS

A time-traveling woolly mammoth finds refuge and rescue at the unlikely hands of a possum and his community of woodland friends in this humorous MG for fans of The Secret Lake and The Wild Robot. Features charming black-and-white interior illustrations by Udayana Lugo.

When a furry, four-legged beast from the distant past appears in their park, the local animals are concerned about unwanted attention from humans. Gilly the Possum, assistant to raccoon Mayor Crawdaddy, is tasked with figuring out where the lost galumpus came from... and how to get him home again. While Gilly and the Mayor don't agree on much, they can agree on one thing: with a huge blizzard rolling in, the galumpus needs their help, no matter where he came from.

This laugh-out-loud, illustrated adventure has the whole woodland community in Theodore Wirth Park considering the best way to welcome a newcomer - and what generosity in the face of unthinkable circumstances can mean.

Joseph Helgerson lives next door to Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis, where he often hikes. This is the first time he's written about that park's remarkable residents. He's previously written about river trolls (Horns & Wrinkles) and talking crows (Crows & Cards).

Udayana Lugo lives by the Fraser river in British Columbia. She's lived in many places, including a house that she shared with a family of possums, and another one where raccoons were the most prominent neighbors. She has illustrated mostly picture books, but was thrilled to work on this novel about Gilly and his friends.