Raymond the Buffalo

Gr 1-3–A unique take from the perspective of a child’s lost treasure in a transitional chapter book. Gilbert and Raymond, the buffalo who lives in Gilbert’s favorite book, are best friends. They do everything together, until Gilbert develops an interest in dinosaurs. Raymond’s jealousy is relieved when it is time for the dinosaur books to go back to the library—except that Gilbert’s mother accidentally returns Raymond’s book, too. He escapes from the pages and befriends the librarian as he awaits Gilbert’s return. This is a quirky story with a sweet and satisfying ending. The language can be stiff, but funny: “Despite their differences, Gilbert and Raymond were inseparable. Like the right butt cheek and the left butt cheek, they were always together.” Large chunks of text are broken up by small illustrations on nearly every page that keep the tale flowing.