Pinch and Dash and the Terrible Couch

K-Gr 2—Pinch, a comfort-loving creature in blue pajamas, is reading his cookbook when the doorbell rings. Two movers, appropriately named Push and Shove, deliver an oversize orange couch from his Aunt Hasty. By pushing and shoving the desk and the snug chair out of the way, they fit the couch in front of the fireplace. Dash, the tall thin neighbor who lives in the adjoining house, comes over and tries to rearrange the furniture. Despite a glass of tart lemonade to "give them pluck," Dash is soon sound asleep. Looking out his window, Pinch realizes that Dash's curtains with their "daring dashes of red" match the offending couch. The book ends with a pleased Pinch watching the movers get the couch-and his sleeping friend-up Dash's steps. These friends were introduced in Pinch and Dash Make Soup (Charlesbridge, 2012), and their second adventure features the same easy-to-read format and droll humor. Bright watercolor illustrations provide emerging readers with plenty of textual clues. This early chapter book makes a welcome addition to most collections.—Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN