Written and illustrated by David Mackintosh

Abrams, $16.95, ages 4-8

Here’s a picture book that braves the topic of kids who march to the beat of their own drummer with humor, intelligence and funny, spot-on artwork. Marshall Armstrong is the kind of boy who wears a digital watch, reads a book during recess, and wears a hat outside because of the ozone layer.

The narrator, a fellow classmate, is not keen on having Marshall, the new boy, seated next to him because Marshall’s “ear looks like a shell … his laces are straight, not crisscrossed,” and his eyes are always focused on the teacher. So what to do Marshall invites everyone at school to his birthday party? The kids worry that “We won’t eat fancy birthday cake or drink soda … and we’ll all have to be careful not to get too hot and bothered. Everyone will have a terrible time.” Instead, they discover there’s so much more to Marshall than meets the eye.

An excellent vehicle for parents and teachers who want to teach tolerance, this terrific book emphasizes how quirkiness can be a positive quality when we are not too quick to write someone off because they think outside the box.

Ronna also recommends …

• Mister Doodle: C is for City, written by Orli Zuravicky and illustrated by Giuseppe Castellano, Simon & Schuster, $7.99, ages 2-5.

• Grandpa Green, written and illustrated by Lane Smith, Roaring Brook Press, $16.99, ages 5-9.

• The Warrior Sheep Go West, written by Christine and Christopher Russell, Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky,  $6.99, ages 9-12

Find more reviews of children’s books, plus contests, on the “Good Reads With Ronna” blog at LAParent.com.