Summer

PreS-Gr 1—All the grassland animals, elephant, jackal, rhino, leopard, lynx, bear and mouse are fighting about who can stand under the tree that only has a few leaves. Elephant decides to take the tree for himself. Eventually the friends work together to beat the heat. There is a moral to the story about kindness, but it is told in a subtle, humorous way. Text and illustrations complement each other. For example, one page depicts the elephant under the tree and on the opposite page his animals friends are laughing uproariously, with the lynx giggling so hard he's on his back. They finally see that under the leafless tree, there is no shade. The elephant is sweltering in the sun, just like the rest of them!" Colorful illustrations add to the lighthearted mood of this title. Inside the title there is also a section where the different animals starting with lynx, let another animal, in this case mouse, rest in their shade. The pages overlap each other and are designed so readers can guess the next animal to offer their shadow before opening to the next page. It offers an opportunity for imagination and conversation.