The Hole in the Middle — Paul Budnitz

Morgan has a hole in his middle, and it gives him a strange, empty feeling -- sort of like always being a little bit hungry. His best friend Yumi tries to help, but nothing seems to make Morgan feel better. Not music, not picnics... not even reminding himself to forget about the feeling. Then Yumi gets sick, and Morgan bakes her a cake. Cheering Yumi up means that Morgan doesn't stop to think about the hole in his middle. Only then does the hole start to shrink... until it's exactly the same size as a belly button.

With bright, whimsical illustrations by up-and-coming artist Aya Kakeda, this simple, inventive tale gently reminds us that our own problems sometimes go away when we focus on our friends.