Part mystery, part parable about the merits of sharing, this charming debut introduces penguins Bob and Flo, who meet and make friends at preschool.
In a palette of primarily pink, yellow and blue, Flo takes the stage with a bundle of fish neatly tucked into a pink bucket that matches her new bow. A penguin named Bob tells Flo, "I like your bucket." While Flo paints, Bob eyes her bucket. Rebecca Ashdown is a master of deadpan humor. Flo looks up from the easel, and sees that her bucket is missing (readers will notice the fish strewn across the floor), "and there was something different about... Bob." Preschoolers will delight in noticing what Flo does not: that Bob looks different because he is wearing Flo's pink bucket on his head while pulling a train set behind him like a pet. ("Flo went to look for her bucket.") Ashdown balances each composition: Bob vertically builds a tower of blocks in the same color scheme as the train, which stretches out horizontally, thus drawing attention to the bucket on which Bob stands. In the pages that follow, children will notice the clues of the bucket-size sand castles, and the telltale train disappearing at right. Finally, Flo spots her bucket, only to lose track of Bob. Thick black outlines keep Bob, Flo, her bow and bucket front and center, while everything else supports their growing friendship. The bucket plays a key role when Flo comes to Bob's rescue.
This pair will quickly become a favorite among preschoolers. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness