Cork the muskrat and Fuzz the possum play many games, but Cork gets frustrated when Fuzz keeps winning. He suggests a swim race without realizing Fuzz can't swim. When Fuzz momentarily disappears, Cork fears the worst, and soon realizes that winning isn't so important as long as he has his buddy. Sharp, playful illustrations display the friends' emotions.

K-Gr 2-Cork and Fuzz, two adorably illustrated characters, return in a story that addresses an important topic. Competition strains the best-friendship of Cork, a short muskrat, and Fuzz, a tall, athletic possum who has a tendency to win easily and boast a lot. Even though clever Cork thinks of several different games to play, he ends up losing all of them. Readers who have come up against poor sports will empathize with him and grit their teeth as competition turns to conflict. Fuzz repeatedly says, "I won!" and Cork threatens to go home. When the buddies realize that their friendship is at stake, they come up with a fun and clever compromise. Filled with repeated vocabulary and simple sentences, the text keeps the plot moving quickly. Lively illustrations depict the action as well as the woodsy setting. Kudos to McCue for providing the characters with a wide range of convincing expressions and activities while still having them look just like a possum and a muskrat.-June Wolfe, Bushnell-Sage Library, Sheffield, MA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.