Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Cork and Fuzz
Illustrator: Lisa McCue
Fiction Series
For ages 5 to 7
Penguin, 2005 ISBN: 978-0670036028
Cork the muskrat is bored; in fact he is so bored that he decides to yell down an empty log to hear his own echo. Then his echo does something odd – it answers back. Cork soon finds out that the log is not talking to him. A possum called Fuzz is replying to Cork's words. Fuzz likes to eat bugs, which Cork thinks is dreadful. Cork likes to eat cattails, roots and seeds. When Fuzz hears that Cork likes to eat "veggie stuff" he sniffs in disgust.
In fact it soon appears that the two animals really don't have much in common at all. In addition to their very different tastes in food, Fuzz hates water while Cork loves it. When they try to play together they end up either frightening each other or sticking each other with thorns. Clearly these two animals are just too incompatible to become friends. Then Fuzz shares a little secret with Cork and they discover something very interesting about one another.
This funny, charming early reader will delight children who are new to reading on their own. There is no doubt that Cork and Fuzz are a wonderfully lovable pair, and through them we see that even very different creatures will find that they have something in common that they can share with one another.
Delightful illustrations capture the characters of Fuzz and Cork, bringing their furry and funny ways to life.
