Gordon and Tapir

K-Gr 2—Gordon, a penguin, and Tapir, a tapir, live together despite several irreconcilable differences. To begin, Gordon cannot locate the toilet paper until he trails it to Tapir's paper roll turban. Further, the floor is sticky with fruit, and Tapir's friends have been holed up in the bathroom for days. Tapir, however, has his own personal gripes about Gordon, whose tidiness seems excessive and whose fishy garbage stinks to high heaven. Tapir is not even invited to join Gordon's club (all penguins). The two rant and rave until the only viable solution is for Gordon to move out. Rather than sever ties completely, however, Gordon invites Tapir immediately to his new place. The cactus that Tapir brings as a housewarming gift is almost symbolic of their prickly yet heartwarming friendship. Meschenmoser's intricate pencil illustrations are full of meticulous comical detail: the toilet-paper torpedo that Tapir leaves all over the room and the dishes precariously stacked in the sink that never topple are in stark contrast to Gordon's penguin friends, who wear bowties and jackets. It seems almost too good to be true that the two friends reconcile immediately after parting as roommates. Regardless, the most important message ringing loud and clear is that good friendships can remain steadfast despite differences—even if a twosome cannot live together under the same roof.