Friendly Day

PreS-Gr 2—When Cat, dinner plate with lemon slice and silverware in hand, catches Mouse, she is the polar opposite of friendly. Intent on saving his skin, Mouse says, "Put down that plate and see the date. It's Friendly Day today/a day for sharing, a day for caring, when everyone is nice,/when Frog reads Snail a fairy tale/and cats do NOT eat mice." Cat is so taken with the idea that she leaves Mouse alone and goes off to tell Dog. Together they imagine all the wonderful things that happen on Friendly Day. They are so excited that they tell Bear, who loves the idea, but must break it to them: "I must insist, it doesn't exist./It is a lovely lie." Cat and Dog are so sad that they cry. Then Cat has a plan-"We'll put the world to rights./We'll make them see how things could be,/if only no-one fights." And down the road Cat, Dog, and Bear go to spread the word about Friendly Day. The rhyming text alone is a joy to read aloud, but the addition of Fuge's illustrations kicks it up a notch. The attention to detail, expressions, and clarity is superb. The artist's realistic depictions of animals in the most unrealistic situations-a cow caring for an ailing crocodile, a fox singing to geese, a knitting rhino-are hilarious yet sweet. Perfect for all libraries, it will be especially appreciated at story time.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH