Help Me!

PreS-Gr 1—Set in what appears to be a waterhole in Africa, the story introduces animals that depend on that water. Baby turtles, a tortoise, elephants, a hippopotamus, an impala, wild dogs, and crocodiles all congregate there. Predator and prey figure into the equation, however, and these animals do not live together in peace and harmony as this book suggests. Wild dogs chase the impala but he escapes harm when the hippo shelters him in the pool; a crocodile finds a weak baby turtle and, instead of eating it, he transports it to the safety of the water; and an elephant steps on the tortoise, but she is unharmed. The text is appealing to young listeners with its cliff-hanger pages (will the baby turtle get eaten or not?) and is said to be "based on real, documented animal behaviour." However, more often in nature, the baby turtle would be eaten, as would the impala, and the tortoise would be crushed to death. The author ends with "And so ended another wonderful day at the waterhole," which makes it sound like a theme park and not the reality of life in the wild. Bold, dramatic illustrations are great for storytime, but this sweet story sends a flawed message.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA