This charming tale of friendship will have children and parents eager for more from first-time author and artist Kit Chase.
Oliver the elephant, Lulu the bird and Charlie the rabbit love to play outside. But when they play hide and seek and Oliver is "it," he can't reach the branch where Lulu hides. He pronounces, "Trees are out of bounds." But Charlie points out, "Not all trees are the same.... We'll find a tree you can play in, too." That turns out to be more challenging than Charlie realized. One tree's too small, another too tall, and another "was just right. Until... Crash!" The author-artist uses the page turn to build suspense, and the expressions on her characters' faces register disappointment and alarm. "Elephants just don't belong in trees!" Oliver says, as the pachyderm pouts and marches off. Exhausted after a long walk, Oliver falls asleep; even youngest children will recognize his napping spot as a sequoia-size tree trunk. When Lulu and Charlie discover their pal napping, they hatch a plan to cheer him up.
This gentle tale stars cherubic animal characters that resemble preschoolers and model kindness and inclusion. Rather than rule out a hiding place that's fun for some and excludes a few, these friends find a way to include everyone. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness