GOAT AND DONKEY IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Best friends collaborate on a surprising vacation. One morning, Goat tells his pal and housemate donkey that he wants to take a vacation to the great outdoors. The duo spends a day planning, while engaging in a series of fun activities that seem, frankly, rather vacation-like: splashing in an inflatable pool, riding a scooter and having a picnic. In the end, Goat camps out in the backyard in an orange pup tent, and Donkey joins him. Though the space is too cramped to play catch, they can warm up under a patchwork quilt and read a book together. The soft finish and richly colored palette of Julian’s illustrations add gentle warmth to this amiable tale of friendship for the very young. A companion title, Goat and Donkey in Strawberry Sunglasses (ISBN: 978-1-56148-572-7) features Goat getting his shopping list muddled with a similarly charming effect. (Picture book. 3-6)