The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol. In Hobbie's expert watercolors are dozens of inventive touches-Puddle wearing a shower cap in the bath, Toot floating among hippos, some of his limbs breaking the surface in a subtle mimicry of their stances, funny allusions to famous art or locales the book and its heroes are endearing, and readers will want to see more of Woodcock Pocket soon. A monthly postcard from Toot is reproduced over an illustration from his year-long adventure (scaling cliffs in the Alps, visiting an Italian pastry shop, taking a camel ride through Egypt, etc.), and a sort of reply comes from a scene of Puddle savoring events on the home front: gathering maple sap for syrup, playing in spring mud, painting a self-portrait, or trying out a Halloween mask. He asks Puddle along, but goes forth alone, and from then on, the experiences of the two are laid side by side on the double-page spreads. Meanwhile, Toot peers at the globe with a magnifying glass, planning an ambitious trip.

There, Puddle turns his head to the sun streaming in his kitchen window as he makes popcorn on the stove. Two anthropomorphic pigs live in the country setting of Woodcock Pocket. One last thing, their home, Woodcock Pocket.The activities of a homebody and an enthusiastic world traveler are contrasted in illustrations brimming with humor. Of course, I feel huge affinity with the semi-agoraphobic Puddle, I tend to be wet, piggy and pool myself around the house and don't like to go out much at all. The illustrations are highly enjoyable and the story funny and entertaining.

It's a delightful book for younger children, not too young, 4-7 perhaps - or 36 year old men. The book is then a fun mixture of Toot's postcards home on his wild adventures and Puddle's ministrations to the normality making up the wheel of the year. Toot sets off on a round-the-world trip, Puddle goes to Stopathome. Alas, such divergence in a relationship can be a sign of the end, but Toot & Puddle are independent souls and they do what they want. One piggy, Toot, he wants to see the world, travel, be an adventurous pig of action the other piggy, Puddle, wants to be a coach potato and enjoy the luxurious comforts of home.

This book is about two piggies, the eponymous Toot & Puddle. A little while ago, my friend Roya read me this book, a favourite of hers from her childhood.

Toot and puddle holly hobbie