CORK AND FUZZ

In this delightful second installment, Cork the muskrat and Fuzz the possum struggle to resolve differences that jeopardize their friendship. Cork, who is older, notices that Fuzz is taller. In the duo’s childlike estimation, older equals taller—it’s simply a rule. Comical attempts to make Fuzz shorter, then Cork, taller, convey just the right mix of earnest endeavor and endearingly silly misapprehension. Chaconas’s text and characterizations hearken back to the best of Harper’s I Can Read program, evoking in particular the measured dialogue and sweet illogic of Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad. In turn, McCue’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations pay tribute to Garth Williams, even as they offer up a pleasingly fresh color palette and singularly apt depictions of two hairy pals from toe to tail. This laugh-out-loud treat never falls short. (Easy reader. 5-8)