January 1, 2013
PreS-Gr 1-At school, Fred the mouse constantly mocks Billy the beaver's wardrobe and accomplishments. When Billy comes to realize that Fred's antics cover up his own insecurities, he stands up to an insult and threatens to stop playing with Fred if he persists. Fearing social exclusion due to Billy's popularity, Fred mends his ways and befriends him. Bell's autumnal palette and large cartoon figures make this title an appropriate read-aloud. When Lacey's incessant chatter is halted by laryngitis, the little owl experiences the benefits of her silence. Homework gets done, she realizes that her buddy tells great jokes, and she actually hears a movie. After her health returns, Lacey still talks a lot, but "listens sometimes," a realistic conclusion. Watson's cartoon animals and very pink cover design should draw in readers who will find Lacey charming, despite her babbling beak. These stories' simplicity allows them to serve as introduction to common challenges.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
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