Smaller than his friend the bear but larger than his friend the bug, a little boy happily spends his day with his two companions. Together they eat, read, plant a garden, play hide-and-seek, take a nap, play with bath water, and go to sleep. Several of the short chapters bring up the characters' relative sizes. For instance, The bear sleeps on a rug on the floor. The boy sleeps in a bed. The bug sleeps in a peanut shell. The mild episodic story is brought to life by McPhail's deft line drawings, brightened with watercolor washes. The endearing characters and occasional touches of humor make this an appealing book for beginning readers and for reading aloud to younger children. (Reviewed November 1, 1998)