The Bestest Friends Ever (Croc & Turtle)

Cheered on by his supportive friend Turtle, Croc attempts to show he is the best at something, but passersby undermine his feats of strength, hopping, and speed. With a "fling!" elephant proves himself better at lifting heavy boulders; with a "wheeeeee!" rabbit easily jumps higher; and with a "zoooooooooom!" cheetah easily outruns the friendly crocodile. "I'm not the best at anything!" a defeated Croc sniffles. Turtle reassures Croc--"You are stronger than me. You can jump higher than me. And you can run way faster than me!"--before realizing that he isn't the best at anything either. Fortunately, the pair discover that they excel at the same task: being best friends. Characterized by gentle colors and uncluttered pages, gouache paintings by Wohnoutka (Moo!) capture an innocent and uncomplicated friendship between two likable best buds. Ages 3-6. (Feb.)

PreS-Gr 1-Croc wants to show his pal Turtle how he's the best at picking up a heavy rock, but Elephant comes along and is stronger. How about jumping over that rock? Nope, Rabbit can jump higher. Running? Surely he is the fastest runner. Yes, until Cheetah zooms past him. A disheartened Croc despairs at not being the best at anything, until Turtle reminds him that he can beat him in all those things, leaving Turtle wondering if he's the best at anything. Together they realize that they are the best at being each other's friend. Besides, Croc reminds Turtle, you are the best swimmer, and Turtle reminds Croc he has the most teeth (until Shark shows up). Wohnoutka's acryla gouache illustrations work effortlessly with the text for a fun story with plenty of character. There is a good use of white space, brilliant facial expressions, humorous antics and adorable critters. In a clever and understated bit of detail, the text is color coded; each animal has its own color. Croc and Turtle's colors match the cover art. VERDICT A humorous story about friendship and what being the best at something really means.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

"Wohnoutka's good-natured tale of competition . . . is a great addition to storytime collections. . . . These reptiles with a rockin' relationship will win fans." —Kirkus Reviews

"Characterized by gentle colors and uncluttered pages, gouache paintings by Wohnoutka (Moo!) capture an innocent and uncomplicated friendship between two likable best buds." —Publishers Weekly

"By the end of the book, readers will be all set for school too: this is sure to provoke shared laughter that will calm the fears of even the most unready parents." —Starred review, Kirkus Reviews on DAD'S FIRST DAY

"Wohnoutka's gouache paintings poke gentle fun at Daddy, and they'll elicit giggles . . . It should leave new students with an extra jolt of confidence." —Publishers Weekly on DAD'S FIRST DAY

"The colorful gouache illustrations will elicit giggles from young readers as they imagine their parents behaving like Oliver's dad." —School Library Journal on DAD'S FIRST DAY

"The readaloud's the real fun here." —Starred review, BCCB on MOO!

"This book is bold, original, and funny, and should be part of every picture-book collection." —Starred review, School Library Journal on MOO!