Offbeat Friends Author:Elfie Donnelly, Anthea Bell (Translator) From the moment she meets Mrs. Panacek on a park bench, eleven year old Mari is intrigued by the seventy-eight year old woman who is wearing one red stocking and one black stocking. Mrs. Panacek tells Mari that one foot is always colder than the other and that red is warmer than black. This makes sense to Mari. — Mrs. Panacek steals a bar of choc... more »olate from Embacher's Delicatessen, Mari is amazed and confused. The Cashier tells her that Mrs. Panacek is an inmate of Alder Yard, the nearby mental hospital. Mari does not care; she likes Mrs. Panacek and oftern goes to meet her in the park. They become such good friends that when Mrs. Penecek runs away from Alder Yard, Mari knows she must help her.« less