In three short stories, Hornbeam the moose attends a picnic with his goose friend Eureka, sleeps over at his cow friend Cuddy's house, and takes swimming lessons with skunk friend Adorabelle.

This feels like a blend between a picture book and an early reader, but whatever it is, it's lovely. ( )

First sentence: One morning Hornbeam was working on a moose puzzle when his neighbor Eureka called.

Premise/plot: Cynthia Rylant's newest early reader stars a moose--Hornbeam--and his friends. It has three stories: "Eureka and the Picnic," "Sleeping at Cuddy's House," "At the Pool with Adorabelle."

In "Eureka and the Picnic," Hornbeam says yes to an invitation from his goose friend, Eureka. Does he say yes for all the right reasons? Maybe. Maybe not. He asks WILL THERE BE POTATO SALAD. What he doesn't know--Eureka isn't exactly forthcoming--is that it is a family reunion picnic. There are hundreds of geese for Hornbeam to meet. All seen as "competition" for that potato salad. Will Hornbeam ever get a taste of it?

In "Sleeping at Cuddy's House," Hornbeam takes refuge at his friend Cuddy's house when his furnace goes out. The conflict? Hornbeam SNORES dreadfully. Will Cuddy ever get to sleep?

In "At the Pool with Adorabelle," Hornbeam is persuaded--albeit reluctantly--to take swimming lessons from his friend. Will this moose learn to swim?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one very much. It is true that I tend to absolutely love Cynthia Rylant. She is a favorite of mine. I adore her books--for the most part. Am I attached to Hornbeam and company as much as I am her older books? Not yet. But there is potential. I hope that there are several books published in this series so that readers of all ages get a chance to get attached. When publishers only give us two books--or three books in a series, it's hard for it to build into a great series with beloved characters. ( )