When Fred the Snake and Friends explore USA-West

by Peter B Cotton, Bonnie Lemaire (Illustrator)

Overview

"[Fred the Snake and Friends Explore USA-West's] best element is its balance of education information and an entertaining tone. This children's travel book stokes curiosity and a spirit of adventure." -Kirkus

Jungle Jim takes Fred the friendly snake, his girlfriend Bernadette, other animals, Perdy and Jack to enjoy some of the sights on the west coast of USA, from Hollywood California to Alaska and Waikiki beach, Hawaii.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647047672
Publisher:	Bublish, Inc.
Publication date:	08/24/2023
Series:	Fred the Snake , #9
Pages:	66
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.17(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

British-born semi-retired Professor of Medicine in Charleston, SC, widely traveled and author of many medical books. He wrote the first story about Fred the snake getting squished (and mended) when his kids were young, to teach them how (not) to cross the road. When they had their own children, they asked "what happened to Fred-Fred" (so-called because he was in two pieces initially). So, Peter dusted it off and found a publisher. It seemed popular and fun, so there are now 8 books (beautifully illustrated by Bonnie Lemaire) about Fred the friendly snake. After recovering from squishness, Fred has gone to school, welcomed Jungle Jim and other animals, explored Charleston, enjoyed the beach and taken his friends camping. The 7th and 8th books have Fred and friends exploring the cities and sights of USA.The midwest book review said "Move over for Fred-Fred, Lewis Carroll"And, Peter was not named after a rabbit.

Editorial Reviews

2024-08-06
Fred the Snake and his friends explore the western United States in Cotton’s picture book.

First stop is Los Angeles, where Fred and friends visit a film set before taking a ski trip to Lake Tahoe. In Yosemite National Park, they rescue a wounded bird. An illicit plane ride over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is followed by a tour of Alcatraz. In Seattle, from the top of the Space Needle, they can see Vancouver, Canada. The crew then navigates around icebergs on a ship to Alaska. Finally, they fly to Hawaii, where they hula dance on Waikiki Beach, visit Pearl Harbor, and camp by the volcano Mauna Kea. Lemaire’s brightly hued cartoon illustrations manage to convey the details of the featured settings and the characters’ activities without overwhelming the pages. The story is written in rhyming verse, which is often forgivably silly but occasionally constraining to the point of treating some subjects reductively. For example, in Alaska, “The native people you may know, / were once called the Eskimo. / But better now, to avoid dispute, / please use Inuit and Aleut.” The text font is rather small and intricate, which might be challenging for younger readers. Each page includes a helpful color-coded header labeling the state and locality, making each place easy to find and revisit. The book’s best element is its balance of educational information and an entertaining tone.

This children’s travel book stokes curiosity and a spirit of adventure.

Kirkus Reviews