Rex and Oslo: Oslo learns to swim by Doug Cushman

Doug Cushman has been writing and illustrating picture books and easy readers for decades. Some older readers will recognize his classic easy reader series like Aunt Eater, Dirk Bones, and titles from the heyday of I Can Read like Inspector Hopper. It's been several years since he published a book through a traditional publisher, although he's issued several through Walrus Way Books, but this new comic easy reader series for Ready-to-Read shows he's as adaptable and relevant as ever, moving easily into the format of word balloons and simple sequencing that's a trend for easy readers, started by Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie.

The first page establishes the characters and their colored speech balloons - Rex, a grey warthog, has a bright pink speech bubble. Oslo, named on the cover, is a small brown bird with a big orange beak and has a bright blue speech bubble. Rex gets the narrative going by inviting Oslo to go swimming. Next comes a stream of excuses from Oslo as Rex arrives at and plunges into the river. Eventually, the bubbles move underwater, where they lighten in color as the conversation continues with Rex and Oslo unseen. When Rex gets frustrated by Oslo's continued excuses, Oslo admits her secret - she can't swim! Rex offers to teach her to swim, and soon they are happily floating down the river. Then along come two crocodiles, one eager to swim and one worried that there might be warthogs...

The simple text and colorful pictures are attractive to beginning readers, with the familiarity of speech bubbles for kids who have grown up reading Elephant and Piggie. Unlike the frustratingly toxic relationships often depicted in the odd-couple trope of beginning readers, Cushman has woven in a sweet example of friendship, where Oslo eventually admits she is embarrassed she cannot swim and Rex does not make fun of her but offers to help her learn. A light vein of humor runs throughout the story and children will relate to the worry of trying something new.

Verdict: An excellent new early reader series, with a second title coming in January 2024. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781665926485; Published May 2023 by Simon Spotlight; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library