Sour Apple

Ages 4 to 8

From the creator of the beloved Hidden Gem comes another irresistibly quirky and hilarious picture book about the universal experience of not getting picked and the pitfalls of self-doubt.

Have you ever been the last one picked? Well, this apple knows a thing or two about being an afterthought: He was the only one left on the tree during apple-picking season.

And when he has some time to ruminate on feeling left out, he does what we all naturally do: He spirals. Insecurity takes him on a funny (and gutting) survey of all the things he could have become if only someone had picked him.

But we never really know what the seeds of change may sprout. Our adorable apple might just learn a valuable lesson about patience when his season finally comes.

About the Author

Linda Liu is an illustrator and designer based in Southern California with a taste for tactile textures, saucy shapes, and palatable palettes. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and now works freelance and full-time so she can be a girl boss and a girl employee at the same time. Hidden Gem is her debut picture book. lindersliu.com