Fish Are Not Afraid of Doctors (Maud the Koala)

Gr 1-3--Maud, a young koala, goes to the doctor for a checkup in this appealing new reader series. While in the waiting room, Maud admires the fish in a large tank and when it's her time to go to the exam room, she tries hiding behind the tank in order not to be seen. In the doctor's office, Maud is declared healthy, but needs a vaccination. After asking "what's a vax-i-nay-shun?" she again wishes she was a fish so that she could avoid the shot. She begins to daydream that she has fins and scales and is under the sea meeting turtles, octopuses, and whales and blowing lots of bubbles. She's called out of her reverie and finds that the vaccination has already happened and her visit is over. When her mom calls her brave, Maud quickly responds that it's because "fish are not afraid of doctors." The story uses a variety of methods to tell the story--comic panels, dialogue, word bubbles, and some wordless images--and there's an engaging plot that readers will relate to. There are perhaps a few new vocabulary words but context clues in the illustrations and the doctor's explanation make them understandable. The printmaking-style illustrations are softly colored and textured (note the turtle wallpaper) and have a cartoonlike style that will likely appeal. VERDICT Young readers will connect with Maud and will look forward to her next outing. A solid purchase for libraries.--Mary Kuehner, Arapahoe Library District, CO