We Are Going to Be Pals!

K-Gr 3–Sometimes friends appear in the most unexpected places. Such is the example of the cattle egret and the rhinoceros. While the egret does all the talking in this book set in Africa, the rhino has plenty of nonverbal communication. The egret explains to the rhino what a symbiotic relationship is and why each is important to the other. The egret, punning along the way, explains their strengths and weaknesses and how symbiosis works. In a fun and educational text, the egret explains to the rhino what friends do for each other, like helping; respecting boundaries; compromising; allowing alone time; and being loyal, honest, and appreciative of the other, in addition to being kind. Teague isn’t interested in teaching textbook symbiosis; when the egret is about to be lost to some quicksand, the rhino engages in a rescue that may or may not be cued from nature. But this will grab interest, as will the background scenes that contain images of African animals in their natural setting. Teachers and parents alike will find this book enjoyable to read many times as chatty egret comes off as slightly overbearing, pushing the limits of the friendship to the point that it becomes quite entertaining.