"There may be better friends than Buckley and Wilberta, but he, a small hedgehog, has a devotion to her, a slender rabbit, that is truly endearing. In the first of the four stories in this I'm Reading Now entry, Buckley is so excited that Wilberta is returning from afar that he eats his breakfast in gulps and stations himself at her home to prepare a welcome. A birthday takes up the next two tales (what to give? did she like it?) before readers learn just how fond Wilberta is of Buckley. She is so saddened by the idea of winter's coming, leaving her house-bound and without Buckley's company, that she instantly accepts his offer to move in with him. Hope Slaughter provides a text that is all heart; Susan Torrence's full-color and black-and-white drawings capture the friendship just as affectionately." (Kirkus Reviews)
"Four wonderful, affectionate stories about friendship. In the best story, Buckley the Hedgehog is waiting and waiting for his friend Wilberta Rabbit to come home from her trip. What if she's lost? What if the wolf caught her? What if she has got another best friend? By the time she gets there, he's so overwrought that he yells at her. In another story, he tries to choose a birthday gift for her. Should he give her something he loves or something he can do without? Wilberta is always so perfect and understanding it's a relief that in the last story she falls apart and he must comfort her. Kids will recognizethe feelings and the situations. The words are simple and immediate, and Susan Torrence's pictures in soft pencil and ink, some in color, express the good humor of these very human animal people." (Booklist)
"Captivating stories that sweep the child up into generosity and friendship and shared feelings. The drawings hop and skip on the page. ... Kindness is the theme here, the kindness of offerings and friendship and the good life of peace. Four admirable lessons with pencil and ink drawings to show the daily presence of problems and solutions and the serenity that comes from rapport." (The Book Reader)
The sequel, Buckley and Wilberta: Forever Friends: "They're back, those perennial friends--he a small hedgehog and she a slim rabbit. In these latest tales, Buckley and Wilberta further acclimatize to each other as they pass through being snowbound, excitingly shovel out of their dilemma, experience storm clouds. A final tale has Buckley charging to Wilberta's rescue, past his own fears, into the wettest spring ever. The tales are funny, magical, with good life lessons to overcome the child's disabilities. The full-color (and black-and-white) illustrations accompanying the tales are friendly and warm-hearted. ... Hope Slaughter's masterful use of emotional strategies for leading a happy life and Torrence's affectionate artwork create a zone of stress-free joy. Life can be fun if we deal with our problems.." (The Book Reader)
The Author: Hope Slaughter Bryant grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She moved to California after graduating from college in St. Paul, Minnesota. She lives by the ocean in Santa Barbara with her husband and their two sons. She has been published in children's magazines and has also written the books The Deeeeelicious Dragon, A Cozy Place, and Plato's Fine Feathers.
The Illustrator: The cover painting and interior illustrations are by Susan Torrence. "Torrence's alternately black-and-white and full-color illustrations are homey and gently humorous in a benign book that gives beginning readers a chance to sharpen their emerging skills." (Kirkus Reviews on Buckley and Wilberta: Forever Friends)
Buckley and Wilberta is available direct from us (send us an e-mail for info) and from Amazon.com. Buckley and Wilberta: Forever Friends is available at Amazon.com Recommended ages: 5-8 Dimensions: 6" wide x 9" tall, 64 pages, hardcover Price: $14.95 First published: 1998 ISBN: 0931093163
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Buckley and
Wilberta