KEVIN GOES FIRST

A group of friends learns the importance of taking turns to be first.

A light-skinned boy named Kevin and his animal friends stumble upon a mysterious ladder. Although Fox was the first to spot the ladder, Kevin announces that he will be the first to climb it. Most of the animals don’t argue, but Fox and Gorilla whisper between themselves that they wanted to be first and reflect on other situations in which Kevin went first without considering the wishes of his friends. As Kevin climbs the ladder, he even gloats by saying, “Winners go first,” but as he climbs uncomfortably high, he soon realizes that going first has its drawbacks. When he reaches the top of the ladder, a huge Mouse greets him, and Kevin quickly encourages his friends to join him so that they can help balance out the seesaw Mouse wants to ride; Kevin boards the seesaw second, letting his friends go first. There’s no true central tension and the plot’s a little thin, but nevertheless the story successfully underscores the importance of being thoughtful and treating your friends as equals. The artwork is sparse but cute and engaging, with some of the story being played out wordlessly in the illustrations.

A low-stakes lesson in courtesy and in being a good friend.