Fred Forgets

PreS-Gr 2—Fred the elephant can't remember what he was supposed to be doing. His friend Monkey has some sneaky ideas and convinces Fred he was just about to do increasingly ridiculous activities, like riding a unicycle upside down or peeling one million bananas. When it finally dawns on Fred that Monkey isn't really helping him remember, he decides to give Monkey a little payback. Bright mixed-media illustrations lend a comical and amusing air that the text, unfortunately, does not support. Many of Monkey's suggestions, including swimming with sharks and wrestling a rhino, cause elephant a certain amount of distress and pain and ultimately read as mean-spirited rather than silly. Perhaps worst is when Monkey gets Fred to wear a dress, leading to humiliation in front of other friends. Phrase repetition fails to move the plot along in an interesting or unexpected way, except at the end, when Fred remembers and decides that two wrongs make a right.