Kate DiCamillo is the beloved author of many books for young readers, including the Mercy Watson and Deckawoo Drive series. Her books Flora & Ulysses and The Tale of Despereaux both received Newbery Medals. A former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, she lives in Minneapolis.

Chris Van Dusen is the author-illustrator of many books for young readers, including The Circus Ship and Hattie & Hudson, and the illustrator of the Mercy Watson and Deckawoo Drive series. He lives in Maine.

The academic setting, imaginative Stella, and brown-noser Horace combine for an ideal opportunity for DiCamillo to exercise her characteristic wordplay...An adorable story that teaches readers that things—and people—are not always what they seem.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

DiCamillo regularly uses advanced vocabulary and seamlessly weaves word definitions into the plot. With metaphor as a primary concept, this text could easily be used in a classroom curriculum. Van Dusen’s illustrations are delightful as always, and enhance the story with their humorous and exaggerated quality. ­An engaging and high quality book for young students that will appeal to reluctant and advanced readers alike.
—School Library Journal

This fifth entry in the series (Leroy Ninker Saddles Up, rev. 9/14, and sequels) stars young Stella Endicott...As ever, Van Dusen’s frequent illustrations add so much, capturing with apt exaggeration all the drama, humor, and emotions of Stella’s adventure- and metaphor-filled day.
—The Horn Book