Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen has many things in common with alpacas--she's highly sociable, she's easily trained, and she never spits or bites unless you really scare her. Her stack-a of published children's books is over fifty titles high and includes picture books like Chicks Rule and Roxie Loves Adventure, as well as chapter book series like Purrmaids and Mermicorns. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, three children, and an adorable pug named Roxie (who does happen to love adventure). Just as alpacas are the smallest member of the camel family, Bardhan-Quallen is the smallest member of her human family. Leeza Hernandez adores alpacas because they're just like cats: curious, treat-loving, and cuddly. She nearly adopted one, but with a tiny apartment, frequent farm visits to snuggle and sketch seemed like a better option. With more than 25 illustrated books in her backpack-a, including Roxie Loves Adventure, Hernandez currently lives in Central Florida where alligators outnumber alpacas. She's not sure how cuddly gators are but she sketches them a lot and they always smile . . . so they must be friendly!

"This cheery story is a humorous vocabulary developer, with numerous ack-a words playfully running throughout the narrative; kids will be quick to shout out their own riffs on the word alpaca. The soothing tale will resonate with those starting school for the first time or returning to classrooms for another year of learning...Kids will "crack-a" up over this jolly school story."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"[A] bouncy read-aloud for little ones...Recommended."-- "School Library Journal"

Publisher: Abrams Appleseed

Pub date: 2025-06-17

Length: 40 pages