Poor Theodore Elephant is hobbled—an injured leg means he can’t meet his cousin at the edge of the forest. He considers asking his friends for advice. “Nonsense,” declares practical opossum, “Friends are to help.” If Theodore can’t go to his cousin, the friends will bring his cousin to Theodore. First published in 1968 with illustrations by Caldecott Honor–winner Brinton Turkle, this cumulative tale of caring is here animated by another Caldecott-winner’s collages of carefully prepared and painted papers. Artful scratches and swirls give elephantine texture to wrinkly Theodore and make a lion’s mane luxurious, and rainforest-ripe colors cause even the smallest creature to pop from the pages. Contact shadows and a variety of edges and background treatments add depth and movement, while pin-point touches of black convey an extraordinary range of expressions. Particularly effective is a sun-seared sienna silhouette of the animals’ trek, leading to a memorable denouement: “To give advice is very nice, but friends can do much more. Friends should always help a friend. That’s what friends are for!” (Picture book. 3-8)
