FIONA IN THE SANDBOX

Fiona the hippo and her brother, Herbert, join friends in a favorite activity: playing in the sandbox.

Fiona is thrilled about the sunshine, the warm sand, and the opportunity to play with her friends (who include a mouse, a turtle, and a frog) and share the numerous toys available. After inadvertently getting some sand on Herbert (“dig dig whoosh!” “Hey, watch out!”), Fiona pauses when she hits something hard and finds a toy dinosaur. She and Herbert imagine themselves digging for dino bones before coming up with further inventive scenarios, with Fiona creating a satisfying, delicious assortment of sand-based pies, cookies, and cakes. Black-outlined, flat, minimal cartoon drawings filled in with colored pencil in hues of purple, green, blue, and yellow emphasize the camaraderie of this playtime setting. The direct narrative depicts young sibling hippos enjoying their sandbox play. Little ones will have no trouble connecting with the emotionally satisfying outcome of this seamlessly simple storyline with its underlying tones of friendship and sibling companionship. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Relatable toddler fare that brings to life an activity beloved by many children.