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-- This title will ship on or after June 03, 2025 --
A zany picture book packed with rhythm, rhyme, and rambunctiousness about the nonsense you might expect if you take your pet rhino on a plane. For fans of Mo Willems's Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Aaron Blabey's Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas.
You can take him on a ship,
hail a taxi for the trip,
waltz him gladly to the car or to the train—
but absolutely never
believe it safe or clever
to take your rhinoceros on a plane.
A cautionary tale about the daredevil stunts and embarrassing antics you will face when traveling with your pet rhinoceros. From the security line to the luggage carousel, there is no hope for a relaxing trip or in-flight movie in this hilarious picture book. Young readers will laugh at the silliness and fun illustrations, while their caregivers will recognize the humor and perhaps even relate to the wild ride that ensues.
With expressive, laugh-out-loud illustrations by Isabel Roxas and lyrical writing by K. E. Lewis that pays homage to nonsense poetry, Never Take Your Rhino on a Plane is a perfect read-aloud pick.
BIO
K.E. Lewis is the author of Devonte’s Shoes, Never Take Your Rhino on A Plane, and Because of Dads.
Raised in Bishopville, SC, where the weather is hot and the accent thick, K.E. grew up in a community that was a haven, rich in generosity and Blackness, much like the community in his picture book, Devonte’s Shoes. Music and conversation floated across the yards equally in the Backstreet and Mohawk communities. Hands waved from passersby.
Now K.E. finds himself juggling teaching, writing, and content development, having led socially impactful community projects and creating experiences in museums, blending both teaching and his love for words. K.E. seizes any moment to teach, delight. His joy is grabbing hold of an idea and seeing it to fruition and getting others to love words just as much as he does.
REVIEWS
"The comically over-the-top illustrations, created with cut paper, oil pastels, and acrylic, will arouse guffaws; the bright blue rhino is quite endearing, and readers will easily forgive him for his naughty behavior. A hilarious flight of fancy." -- Kirkus Reviews
"The highs of unruly behavior meet the lows of air travel in this tale starring a rambunctious but undeniably adorable blue rhino and a harried kid, portrayed with brown skin, who ignores the book’s titular admonition...It’s a new perspective on travel mishaps for readers of any age: rhino-level chaos or no, sweet moments can make for a memorable time." -- Publishers Weekly
[H] Clarion Books / June 03, 2025
40 pages
For ages 4 to 8