Friends in Fur Coats

Gr 1–3—During a dream, young Noah visits his stuffed animals in their different habitats and learns why their fur coats are important for their survival. Noah says goodnight to all of his beloved stuffed animals before going to bed. As he falls asleep, he is surrounded by trees and deep in a forest. He talks to Bella, his stuffed animal bear, who has transformed into a real bear. She tells him all about her fur and its purpose. Throughout, Noah travels to various habitats and is greeted by his stuffed animals. In the end, he realizes why fur is so important to his animal friends and why he does not need a fur coat. Overall, the book contains numerous facts that are hidden in the dialogue within a fantasy scenario. Youngsters reading the book independently may find the back-and-forth confusing, since it never explicitly says who is talking. The colorful watercolor illustrations add to the animals' explanations. At the end of the book, there is a page for adults, with statistics about animals being killed for their fur. This information is not appropriate for younger readers and should be considered when adding this to a library.