Shorty & Clem

The creator of the award-winning app Scruffy Kitty, Michael Slack, brings young readers a fresh, dynamic duo: an energetic dinosaur and a cranky but loving bird who both pack lots of silly noises and fuzzy surprises in this vibrantly illustrated friendship story.

Meet Shorty & Clem! Shorty is a really short dinosaur. A shortysaurus, to be exact. Clem is a blue quail. A quail is some kind of bird.

While Clem is out, a package arrives at the door with his name on it. Shorty gets super excited and finds the box irresistible. What’s inside? A race car…trampoline…bongos…monkeys? He REALLY wants to open it but, he knows that it’s Clem’s. Should he open the box? Of course not! Instead, he jumps on it like a trampoline—THUMP!—and bangs on it like a drum—BOOM BADA BOOM!—until he finally opens it. That’s when Clem comes home. Shorty is sure he’s done something terrible, but Clem proves to him that best friends are the best surprises of all!

“Slack renders both roomies and the simple speech-balloon dialogue…with blocky minimalism, comically contrasting Clem’s steady, grave air with Shorty’s exaggerated gestures and broad emotions.” - Kirkus Reviews

“…a funny, sympathetic read.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Vibrant, blocky digital illustrations with cartoonish exaggerations and textural touches expressively depict calm Clem and excitable Shorty, while the animated text amusingly captures curiosity, anticipation, imaginative play, and impatience.” - Booklist

“Wrapped in humor and understanding, this enjoyably highlights the spirit and meaning of friendship.” - Booklist

“Fans of Mo Willems’s “Pigeon” books and the “Elephant and Piggie” series will appreciate this unlikely pair of friends...A great read-aloud or beginning read-alone and a fun addition to most collections.” - School Library Journal