Arlo Gets Lost
PreSchool-Grade 2—On a blustery day, Arlo the armadillo ventures outside with his rabbit friend, Jack. Kites in hand, they head for an open field. Arlo's hopes of landing his kite "on Jupiter" are dashed when it ends up in a tree instead. A rainstorm sends the pals on their way, but Arlo is reluctant to leave without his toy and turns back. He soon becomes lost and rolls his shell into a ball to protect himself. As he waits for the rain to stop, he smells something familiar and realizes that he is near the skunk hole he had passed earlier in the day and "sniffs" his way. The acrylic and watercolor cartoon illustrations are rendered in flat brown and mossy green tones. The pedestrian text relays the adventures in a straightforward, lackluster manner. Stick with Paulette Bourgeois'Franklin Is Lost(Kids Can, 1992).—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, CanadaEND