TALES FROM THE WATERHOLE

“Messing around at the waterhole” pretty much sums up summer vacation for the animal friends in Graham’s newest offering. Five amusing chapters, punctuated by his familiar watercolor illustrations, will bring a smile to young readers’ faces. Morris the crocodile and Billy the tortoise are best friends who play, swim, wrestle, and play soccer—all the things that should make up a long, relaxed summer vacation. When Morris’s mother buys a swimsuit that Billy thinks makes her look “like a fruit salad,” Morris defends his mother’s honor in a wresting match that ends when Billy gets flipped onto his shell. But they are friends, and friends help each other up. Morris, in his bid to impress Wendy Warthog, attempts a skateboard trick that does nothing but soak everyone. It’s the little things that matter in this warm ode to the unplanned days of summer. Friends of George and Martha or Frog and Toad will read these connected stories over and over. (Easy reader. 4-8)