Description

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The extraordinarily gifted illustrator and storyteller Bob Graham turns his distinctive attention to the animals of the African plains.

Morris the crocodile and his best friend, Billy, a tortoise, like nothing better than messing around down at the waterhole. After all, that’s where their friends gather: zebras, hippos, giraffes, elephants, warthogs, and all the rest. In five amusing stories, Morris and company do just what kids do during a long, hot summer- perform ill-timed stunts on the diving board, get soundly beaten by a team of moms in a soccer match, or see their wildebeest friends off on vacation (also known as their annual migration). By turns wry and laugh-out-loud funny, Bob Graham’s whimsical waterhole gang pays tribute to the merriment and mishaps of young friendships everywhere.

About the Author

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Bob Graham is the award-winning creator of many books for children, including JETHRO BYRD, FAIRY CHILD, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal; "LET'S GET A PUP!" SAID KATE, a BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award winner; and MAX, a PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year. Of TALES FROM THE WATERHOLE, he says, "As an author, I have loved spending time with Morris, Billy, and friends. I’ve been able to send them down to swim and play at the waterhole for endless hours — unaccompanied by their parents. What freedom! At this waterhole, there is no ‘nature red in tooth and claw.’ Here they string up colored lights at dusk, dance, and take party photos. I might just go and live there." Bob Graham currently lives in Australia.

Praise For…

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It's the little things that matter in this warm ode to the unplanned days of summer. Friends of George and Martha or Frog and Toad will read these connected stories over and over.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Generous white space and a large font create a bridge to longer chapter books for beginning readers. An amusing summertime romp.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

The bursting scenes cheerfully convey the happy neighborhood bustle, and the sprightly lines and soft watercolor washes create a cozy and companionable crew. . . . This will provide a refreshing early chapter read or sequential readaloud.
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books