Lulu and the Others: A True Story

Award-winning author and wildlife expert Eliot Schrefer makes his picture book debut with a sweet, poignant story about family and belonging, inspired by the true story of a bonobo raised by a human family and later returned to the wild, with illustrations from New York Times bestselling artist AG Ford.

Lulu is like many kids you know. She lives in a house with her mom, dad, and sister. She likes soda, hopscotch, and comic books.

But there is one way Lulu is different: she’s a bonobo. 

Being the only bonobo in a human world can be lonesome. And so Lulu and her family take a long boat ride to a jungle Lulu has never seen before.

Now, she’s surrounded by creatures with faces that look like hers and who make sounds like she does. But Lulu can’t possibly be like these apes…can she?

Colored pencil and ink illustrations portray wild, gregarious bonobo energy and tender, human-like gestures. Through Lulu’s journey, readers see how easy it is to both draw and blur lines of connection. - Publisher's Weekly

"The lovely story, based on an actual bonobo, has plenty of lighthearted moments, but there is also the poignancy of Lulu’s plight as an individual torn between worlds. A touching tale sure to resonate with any reader trying to find their true place in the world." - ALA Booklist

"​An excellent book for conversations with children about how wild animals should not become pets but be left to their natural habitats. Will make a good addition to any library’s picture book collection, particularly those needing titles about wildlife conservation." - School Library Journal