CHUBBO'S POOL

Chubbo, a selfish little hippo, doesn't want to share the pool of water he finds on the hottest day. When other animals seek the pool out, Chubbo yells, ``GET OUT OF MY POOL!'' When the pool dries up, Chubbo is forced to find another, larger pool where plenty of animals are already drinking. They neither chase Chubbo away, nor make him welcome. He trudges back to his own mud wallow, feeling hot, thirsty, and ``very, very alone.'' Suddenly the elephants come with their trunks filled with water, and whoosh, fill Chubbo's pool. Chubbo decides that it is nice to have friends. The very realistic, soft watercolors of animals and landscape are out of step with the heavily anthropomorphized tale—and much more appealing. Lewin (Walk A Green Path, 1995, etc.) concludes with a picture glossary of the animals in the story, giving the common and scientific name for each, and mentions her real-life inspiration. (Picture book. 3-6)