"Honestly Eric"

Linda Ludke is a librarian at the London Public Library.

Eric is similar to his father in many ways, including being a messy
eater, a daydreamer in school, and a bit careless with a baseball. His
exasperated mother sighs, “What in the world will I do with you? /
Honest to goodness, I wish that I knew / Honestly Eric, you’re just
like your dad.” When Eric helps a friend in need, his mother is very
proud knowing that he has also learned compassion and kindness from his
father.

Bobby and Max, who are best buddies, build a tree fort together. Rule
number one is that no girls are allowed in. Molly wants to play with
them, but they shun her because she is a girl. They come up with a plan
to “invite Molly up to our place / We’ll catch some spiders to throw
in her face.” But their scheme backfires. Molly not only likes bugs,
but she can also hit home runs and is “the coolest guy [they’ve]
ever seen.”

Told in rhyme, these two new additions to the Adventures in Hide Away
Bay series explore relationships and convey lessons in empathy and
tolerance without being didactic. Sarah White’s cartoon illustrations
of elephant, turtle, and rabbit characters add humor. Each book also
includes ideas for follow-up activities such as creating a family tree
and a puzzle featuring the main characters. Recommended.