A new book

I wanted to take a moment to recommend this book which we found the other day at the bookstore. Well, it wasn't a true "find". Actually, I saw it in Cookie magazine and we went in search of it. It's the first children's book by Japanese contemporary artist Yoshitomo Nara. We've been fans of Nara for some time now - his work is wildly popular in Japan, and can be seen in most any contemporary art museum worth its salt here in the US. While childlish and playful in style, his art is not for children. So I was thrilled to see that he had finally created a children's book. It may be a bit "for art buffs", but I love the simple concept of this book. It's about a puppy who is very, very lonesome...because he is SO big (planet-sized, more or less) that no one notices him. In the end, he is befriended by one little girl who takes the time and makes the effort it takes to discover him. The book is dedicated "to physically-challenged children everywhere", but to me the idea is so simple and so universal. I suppose there are children out there who don't feel awkward, but I think most of us do. I know that I (awkwardest of the awkward children) always felt like an outsider, and in that overwhelming awkwardness there's the strange dichotomy of feeling at once oversized and clumsy (so that you feel everyone must be able to see your faults, and you just want to shrink into a corner) and at the same time completely invisible to the world.
There's also a message here about looking around with an open mind and seeing what others haven't noticed, about taking chances and making the effort to befriend people.
Anyway. I like the book. It's very simple, and yet packs a whallop.