Chubby Wubbles

An adopted ferret settles into his new home but misses his buddy in this debut picture book. Chubby and Coco are ferrets and best friends, spending their time playing together. But one day, Coco vanishes. Chubby doesn't understand why and misses her terribly. Chubby's owner, Mark, no longer has time to care for him and asks his brother, Jeffrey, to adopt him, which he's glad to do. The young man sets up everything a ferret needs, and soon Chubby is eating (of course), playing, going for walks, and snuggling with Jeffrey. But he still misses Coco. One day, Chubby slips out of the apartment and tries looking for his old friend, but he's scared by bullying geese in a nearby park. Jeffrey rescues and reassures Chubby. When he goes on vacation, Jeffrey leaves Chubby with his father, John--who, it turns out, has been taking care of Coco. The ferrets are overjoyed to see each other again, and when Jeffrey returns, both animals come home with him, happily reunited. Abrams includes photographs of the actual ferrets that inspired this work, which give a good sense of their personalities, as with Chubby's horrified expression when surrounded by geese. The book subtly teaches children about responsible pet ownership, which includes relocating furry friends when necessary, searching immediately for lost animals, and trying to keep bonded pairs together. Children might better relate to younger human protagonists, but that's a quibble. A sweetly told animal story of loss, danger, and reunion.

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