Trudi is a dwarf, and she longs to meet someone who looks like she does, “someone who would look at her with joy—not curiosity.” In the meantime, she hangs from doorways and tree limbs, wishing her arms and legs will grow. Trudi meets Pia when the circus comes to town. Also a dwarf, Pia does a wild animal act that is awe inspiring, and no one in the mesmerized crowd seems to notice or care about her size. Pia’s complete comfort with who she is and how she looks is a revelation to Trudi. “To Pia, long arms were ugly, long legs unsteady. Tall people looked odd, too far from the ground.” In Ursula Hegi’s remarkably accessible adaptation of her complex adult novel Stones from the River, a girl begins to understand that her sense of isolation is rooted in what she thinks about herself rather than how she looks. There’s a trademark offbeat quality to all human figures in Giselle Potter’s art style. As a result, Trudi’s physical difference is suggested without being emphasized. What is conveyed clearly in both art and story is the warmth and love of this significant friendship. (Ages 6–9)

"Many nights the dwarf girl, Trudi, fell asleep hoping that her body would stretch itself overnight, that she'd wake up and be the size of other girls her age."

Trudi doesn't know anybody like her. No one with short arms that can't reach coat hooks, or short legs that dangle in chairs; no one small enough to look into her eyes.

No one, that is, until she meets Pia at the circus. Pia is a lion tamer -- strong and fearless and, most important, a dwarf like Trudi. When Pia asks for a volunteer to step into the ring, Trudi doesn't hesitate. And together, they weave tales of a magical island where people are little and never lonely. After the enchantment ends, Pia shares a secret with Trudi: Feeling that you belong starts with loving yourself.

Adapted from Ursula Hegi's best-selling novel "Stones from the River --" and perfectly paired with Giselle Potter's poignant illustrations -- this moving story of a girl's search for acceptance captures what it feels like to be different...and then what it feels like to realize that you're not.