ALA Booklist (Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

The multitalented Bell comes through with another hit school story with heart. At show-and-tell, Caroline's first-grade class has some neat stuff, including a ukulele, a tadpole, and a sombrero. But shy Chuck brings the best one: Woodchuck. The cute and funny pal is so entertaining that the teacher invites him to come to school every day. Since Chuck is sweet on Caroline, Woodchuck is especially attentive to her, sharpening her pencil and giving her Chuck's hat, cupcake, and flower painting. When Chuck whispers Caroline's forgotten lines to her in the school play, their friendship is sealed, and the three friends walk home from school together with smiles all around. Bell's warm and colorful graphic style, which uses ink and digital illustrations, embraces the many personalities of the class, as well as giving off the happy vibes of burgeoning affection. The bright and cheerful double-page spreads show the toothy, fuzzy-tailed, lovable Woodchuck comically facilitating a flowering friendship.

Horn Book

A woodchuck at school for show-and-tell brings together a shy first grader named Chuck and his classmate Caroline. Caroline describes the ways Woodchuck goes out of his way to get her attention on Chuck's behalf. Chuck eventually finds his voice, in a sweet and satisfying way, and a three-way friendship is formed. Clear, unfussy ink and digital pictures illustrate the humorously fantastical story.

School Library Journal (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

K-Gr 2 Caroline is excited to show off her grandfather's ukulele at show and tell. Her classmates have cool stuff to show, too, but no one's item tops Chuck's. Chuck brings a&30;woodchuck to first grade. When the woodchuck turns out to be fun to spend time with, the class begs their teacher to let him stay. Caroline knows that he is always kind and generous to her, but she doesn't exactly know why. When Caroline loses her cupcake, Woodchuck replaces it with Chuck's. And it's Chuck's hat Woodchuck gives Caroline when she is cold during recess. It turns out that Woodchuck has been doing some friend-matching for Chuck, who is too shy to approach Caroline himself. Bell's charming cartoon illustrations are humorous and have a retro feel to them. Readers will go back and review the illustrations after catching on to Woodchuck's plan, and see Chuck hovering nervously at the edge of the page while Woodchuck takes the initiative. The story is told from Caroline's point of view, and it is pitch-perfect. This will be a fun classroom read-aloud, since it goes through the whole school year. VERDICT Children will be clamoring for their own woodchuck once they read this talewhere did Chuck find his? Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ