I'll Meet You Halfway - Hardcover

Friendship is the best gift of all--that's the moral of this affable tale starring Titus Turtle and Fuller Frog, a pair of best buddies who set out for a visit at a spot midway between their homes. Each wants to surprise the other with a present: Titus knits a sweater (turtleneck, naturally) for Fuller, and Fuller bakes a cake for Titus. Unbeknownst to either of them, the journey proves hazardous to their accoutrements--the sweater snags on a branch and slowly unravels until all that's left is a sleeve; a trio of birds demolishes the cake until only a puddle of whipped cream and a few berries remain. Though disappointed, Titus and Fuller overlook the state of their radically diminished gifts ("I adore berries and cream!"; "A winter scarf is just what I've wanted!"), focusing instead on the joy of simply being together. Watts charts the friends' journey with panache, drawing on a near-tropical palette for his color-drenched illustrations. Readers looking for stories in the quiet tradition of the Frog and Toad series will cozy right up to this collaboration. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- One morning, Titus Turtle writes to his friend Fuller Frog, suggesting that they meet halfway between their houses for a long-overdue visit. Each packs a gift for the other, and they set off. Along the way, however, the red turtleneck sweater that Titus has knitted for his friend snags on a branch and begins to unravel, while the chocolate cake that Fuller has baked becomes a snack for some birds. Their mutual dismay disappears upon their reunion, when they make the best of the decimated presents, knowing that their friendship is the most important gift of all. This rather lame and pedantic tale is illustrated in vivid acrylics depicting anthropomorphized woodland creatures wending their way through a sun-dappled landscape. A book about friendship that doesn't quite cut it. --Anna DeWind, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.