The first book in a funny, heartfelt, and irresistible young middle grade series starring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum, from acclaimed author Elana K. Arnold and with illustrations by Charles Santoso.

For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises-some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat's mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter.

But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he's got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.

"This sweet and thoughtful novel chronicles Bat's experiences and challenges at school with friends and teachers and at home with his sister and divorced parents. Approachable for younger or reluctant readers while still delivering a powerful and thoughtful story" (from the review by Brightly.com, which named A Boy Called Bat a best book of 2017).

There are 208 pages in this book. This book was published 2018 by HarperCollins Publishers Inc .

Charles Santoso has illustrated several picture books, including The Snurtch and I Don't Like Koala . He worked at Animal Logic as a concept artist/art director and was involved in various animated feature film and TV commercial projects. Charles Santoso's work has been exhibited in Sydney and also internationally in North America and France. He currently lives and works in Singapore. Elana K. Arnold is the author of several books for young readers and teenagers. She lives in California with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals.