AT THE SUMMER LAKE

Cooling off on a hot day leads to danger.

The animal friends from the creators’ In the Winter Woods (2024) and In the Autumn Forest (2025) are wilting in the heat. As Fox, Mouse, and Crow commiserate, irrepressible Squirrel arrives and airily suggests a refreshing swim in the lake. His friends refuse to follow as he leaps into the water, and though Squirrel calls them “fraidy-cats,” they stay where they are. Squirrel grows chilly, but when he tries to climb out, he can’t make it up the slippery rocks. His friends note his lack of caution (“If this isn’t typical of our dear Squirrel, I don’t know what is”) but are quick to help. Flying above, Crow spots a flat place, and the others help guide Squirrel to it. Then Squirrel keeps watch while the others swim. As night falls, a perfect day comes to a lovely end as fireflies dot the air and a crescent moon looms above. Ten tips for safe swimming follow, along with a link to the Red Cross. This fitting addition to Kulot’s seasonal series (Autumn taught youngsters about the importance of listening to each other; Winter, about sharing) combines lessons in safety with artfully naïve landscapes in gold, green, and blue and appealing semi-anthropomorphized animals. Lauffer’s unrhymed translation from German is informal, vernacular, and smooth.

Deftly packaged lessons in aquatic safety and in cooperation.