Oliver Pig and his little sister, Amanda, have been staples of the easy-reader shelves for over a decade, with simple but satisfying stories in school and family settings. Van Leeuwen and Schweninger (Oliver and Amanda and the Big Snow, 1995, etc.) have already introduced Amanda’s best friend, Lollipop, and now it’s Oliver’s turn to explore the ups and downs of best friends in the elementary-school world. Albert is the new kid in class, a tall, precocious pig with glasses who is a wiz at identifying insects, but a failure on the kickball field. Oliver helps Albert with his kicking and catching skills and Albert helps Oliver learn about bugs. Albert’s interest in insects inspires questions and research in his class, including a bug zoo for all the pigs to observe. Teachers and parents will appreciate the integration of beginning scientific inquiry into the story as Albert and Oliver think of their own questions about insects and then find the answers themselves at the school library. A rewarding choice for new readers, with a gentle lesson about accepting help from a friend. (Easy reader. 4-8)
