Fred, a buffalo-plaid-wearing beaver, had built the perfect den. "Well, almost perfect. It's missing something." While Fred ruminates on his den's missing element, his train of thought is rudely interrupted when he hears the roar of a chainsaw. His investigation leads him to the talented Sophia, a buffalo-plaid-wearing lumberjack, who is busily building her own dream den. Then it hits him: "Fred's den isn't missing something. . . . It's missing someone!" When Fred tries to impress Sophia with his log-falling skills, he absentmindedly smashes all of Sophia's hard work. Thankfully, the end result turns out to be better than expected. Weinberg's colorful cartoon illustrations are full of bug-eyed facial expressions, clever background details, comical slapstick, and a dynamic sense of movement, along with boldly printed onomatopoeia. Themes of friendship, loneliness, cooperation, and problem solving are smartly covered in this quick read. End pages give clues to before-and-after portions of Fred and Sophia's adventures. This story is perfect for shy kiddos who have difficulties building friendships.

Fred has built his perfect den—but something's missing.The toothy beaver with a red-plaid trapper hat has thought of everything: bunk beds, video games, a water slide, and a table for two. But something is not quite right. When a chainsaw-wielding, red-plaid-coat-wearing lumberjack roars into his life with power and precision, Fred realizes it's not what he was missing but whom. Now if he can only impress the pale-skinned, blonde-tressed lumberjack girl without ruining everything….Weinberg's energetic pencil, watercolor, and digital blend brings vigor and whimsy to this fairly straightforward friendship story. It offers humor and a bit of context to what is otherwise a brief but wildly melodramatic moment in the text ("FRED IS DOOMED!"). Fortunately for Fred, shared interests and contrition resolve the relatively thin conflict and result in more building and playing and planning together. Implications for and impacts on readers are likely minimal—one can't help but think that this particular story might have resonated more deeply in a recently passed, more lumberjack-crazed cultural moment. Still, the endpapers reference the Catskills, where perhaps lumber-themed lore is always en vogue, so this one may find its readership yet. Something for the lumber and lumberjack lovers. (Picture book. 3-8)

A winsome beaver and an accomplished lumberjack form a mutual admiration society in Weinberg-s exuberant tale about building friendships. Fred, the beaver, has clearly invested a lot of time, effort, and craftsmanship into his -perfect dream den,- which is cozily appointed with carefully gnawed logs that form a table, shelves, bunk beds, and even a video game system. But something-s missing, and Fred -can-t sink his teeth into- what it might be. As he puzzles out potential improvements, a roaring noise draws him into the forest, where he spies the work of a female lumberjack with noteworthy chainsaw skills. Although Fred-s efforts to impress her go awry, the pair discovers a shared passion for woodworking (and flannel), joining forces to dream up creative renovations for a shared den. Blending traditional and digital media, Weinberg (Rex Finds an Egg! Egg! Egg!) uses boldly crawled lines and blasts of color to set a scene that-s simultaneously bucolic and chaotic, and his bubble-eyed characters and their outsize emotions and movements add further oomph to an already energetic story. Ages 4-8. Agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt. (Sept.)