Clean up the Watering Hole! — Patricia M. Stockland

Gr 1-3 These mildly entertaining stories feature Eddie the elephant and a monkey named Milo, who reside on the African savanna. In each title, the friends must solve a problem, such as helping an ant colony fix up a dilapidated anthill, cleaning up a polluted watering hole, or finding bananas to satisfy Milo's craving. In solving these dilemmas, they impart valuable lessons about friendship and caring for the Earth. The overly long narratives are heavy on dialogue and move along at a reasonable pace. Unremarkable cartoon artwork mirrors the action in the texts but does little to enhance the stories. Children are unlikely to fall in love with the characters or to clamor for more of their adventures.-Melinda Piehler, Sawgrass Elementary School, Sunrise, FL