Cork and Fuzz: The Swimming Lesson by Dori Chaconas - ADVISABLE

Chaconas, Dori Cork and Fuzz: The Swimming Lesson, illustrated by Lisa McCue. Viking, 2011. $13.99. PICTURE BOOK.  This is the seventh Cork and Fuzz book published, but it is my first experience with the series.  In it, Cork the muskrat want his best friend Fuzz the possum to come to his house because he is tired of always going to Fuzz's house to be together.  However, the problem is that Cork's house is in the middle of a pond, and possums do not swim.  (That is why Cork always has to go over to Fuzz's place.)  Thus Cork, the muskrat, tries to teach his possum friend how to swim so that his best friend can see his house. And the adventure begins.  Did I love this book?  No.  Was it cute?  Most certainly.  This was a great book about two cute characters, and even though this is my first foray into the series I can tell that there is a style specific to all the Cork and Fuzz books (and that is good for all early readers).  But what I did not like about this book (and why I could not give it and "essential") is that only one of the two overcomes a fear.  And I just don't think that that is a good lesson to teach kids: make your friend overcome a fear so that you don't have to.  I still liked it.  Pre-K, EL(K-3), EL - ADVISABLE. Brent Smith, Reading Teacher.