Up the creek

Friends Moose, Bear, and Beaver bicker constantly on their canoeing trip. However, when they suddenly find themselves shooting white-water rapids, they must cooperate in order to make it through. The comical narrative's deadpan delivery is cleverly mirrored in the Photoshop illustrations, in which the animals retain their poker-faced expressions even as they're being tossed around in the water. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The bear, the moose and the beaver might be friends, but they can't agree on anything! One nice, sunny day, the three friends decide to go for a canoe trip down the river. All of them want to steer--and that tips the canoe, and they all end up in the water. A game of "Eenie-Meenie-Minie-Moe" puts the moose in the stern, but they all insist on paddling on the same side of the canoe. They're so stubborn that they just circle for a long time. It's only when they get tired that they start switching sides and move forward. When they come to a beaver dam, no one can agree on how to get over the blockage. Once over the dam (the bear's idea to portage wins out), the trip goes smoothlyuntil the bickering starts. They're yelling so loudly that they don't hear the waterfall, and that strands them on a rock in the middle of the river. They argue well into the night. It's not until the next morning that it dawns on the friends that they'll never get to shore unless they work together. Canadian author/illustrator Oldland's fourth Life in the Wild picture book features all three of his blocky cartoon woodland characters in a fine tale of friendship and cooperation. Gentle humor, both visual and textual, make this an easy and not preachy lesson. Storytimers and newly independent readers alike will enjoy this trio's continuing adventures. (Picture book. 3-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.