Oddfellow's Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin Grades 2-4 144 pages Random House January 2012 Hardcover     At the Oddfellow’s Orphange, “nothing was ordinary.” Carriages are pulled by black bears, the Headmaster is related to Bluebeard, and Astronomy, Cryptozoology and Fairy Tales are studied in class. Oddfellow Bluebeard and his staff ensure the orphans never feel alone. In the summer, they plan a Grand Picnic where stories are acted out on stage. During the school year, the professors take them on field trips to see monsters and circus acts. This book begins when young Delia arrives at the orphanage. She cannot speak, but because differences are welcome at this orphanage, the staff allows her to communicate in her own way. Soon all the orphans, including Hugo the hedgehog, Imogen the tattooed girl, and Ollie the onion-headed boy, feel like family to Delia. The fourteen episodic chapters in this book describe eventful times at the orphanage such as Haircut Day, Christmas, and the day Baby Bear goes missing. The illustrations (rendered in graphite) are draw and colored in shades of sepia. Martin (The Black Apple’s Paper Doll Primer) includes a portrait and write-up of one of the main characters before the beginning of each chapter. Girls who enjoy cozy reads with a hint of wonder will likely enjoy this book.     web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2012 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)