Daniel Misumi has just moved away from everything he knew to a place he knows nothing about d he's pretty sure his bedroom is haunted by a puddle-making apparition. Instead, he soon finds himself face-to-upside-down-face with a tiny fruit bat named Megabat. This little creature, no bigger than a butterfly, can talk, though he does get his words confused. He thinks buttermelon is watermelon, smoosh-fruit is a jelly roll, and Papaya Premium is Borneo. (Fear not: this witty word scramble is rarely confusing.) Unfortunately, Megabat shares something with Daniel: he's been taken from his home, too, and is lonely. It's up to Daniel and his friend Talia to get Megabat safely home. Jamie, Talia's older brother, however, has a plan of his own. Reich's expressive black-and-white illustrations are filled with detail and texture, especially with Megabat's delightful facial expressions, and help guide the story along. Great for readers who enjoy Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson books.

Lonely in a new town, Daniel Misumi meets an even lonelier talking fruit bat in this early chapter book. Together, boy and bat strategize its return to Borneo while also dodging a callous neighbor, forging new friendships, and bonding over Star Wars. Humphrey makes the story's various absurdities seem only natural, and the gently rounded graphite illustrations and welcoming, large-font format match the sweet tone.

Daniel hates his new house and misses the friends from his former hometown. But he cheers up after discovering that he-s sharing his attic bedroom with a talking fruit bat, Megabat, who was accidentally shipped to Canada from the Borneo rainforest in a box of papayas. Like Daniel, Megabat feels out of place and alone; as his tears create puddles on the floor, he explains, -A bat is dripping. From a great sadness.- Daniel introduces his new roommate to Star Wars movies and apple juice, and the bat becomes hooked on both, even fashioning a lightsaber from his juice-box straw. The boy enlists the help of his next-door neighbor, Talia, to return Megabat to Borneo, but multiple plans backfire. Augmented by amusing graphite illustrations from Reich (Carson Crosses Canada), Humphrey (the Clara Humble series) tells a story that intensifies when Megabat falls in love with the pigeon who saves his life, cementing his decision to stay in Canada and precipitating, in Megabat speak, -a muchly happy ending.- The winged hero of this warm tale returns in Megabat and Fancy Cat, due out next April. Ages 7-10. (Aug.)

Gr 2-4 Daniel misses his old home in Toronto, and as he settles into his new house, he finds that his attic bedroom comes with a seemingly ghostly roommate. The whispering voice in the attic belongs to a talking, homesick fruit bat whose tearful "drippings" are causing puddles in the upper story of the house. When Daniel researches fruit bats at the library, he gives his friend the superhero name Megabat. Daniel introduces his new friend to Star Wars and crafts a fruit bat-size lightsaber out of a bendy straw. Daniel makes it his mission to help Megabat get back home to the tropical rain forests of Borneo. They unexpectedly recruit Talia, Daniel's neighbor, to help in this endeavor which proves to be more difficult as plan after plan falls apart. Meanwhile, Talia's brother Jamie cruelly bothers the pigeons in their neighborhood and brings misery to the friends after he learns of Megabat. While the story is simple and the bat-speak dialogue can be somewhat tedious, early readers will enjoy the happy ending in this story of finding friendship in unlikely places. VERDICT A good choice for chapter book shelves. Jamie Jensen, Wayne Cox Elementary School, Roanoke, TX