Rex the warthog teaches his best friend, Oslo the oxpecker, to swim in this first book in the sweet and funny Level 1 Ready-to-Read series about the unlikely duo.

Rex the warthog and Oslo the oxpecker bird are friends who do everything together. But when Rex wants to go swimming, Oslo objects! The water looks cold and wet. There might be sharks. Will Rex be able to help Oslo overcome his fears and join in the fun?

About The Author

Doug Cushman

Doug Cushman has illustrated over 130 children’s books, thirty or so of which he also wrote. His titles have been New York Times bestsellers and won awards including the Christopher Award, the California Young Readers Medal, and two Maryland Blue Crab Awards. Doug was also the recipient of a National Cartoonists Society Newspaper and Magazine Illustration Award, and he has displayed original art in France, Romania, and the United States. Doug enjoys mystery novels, playing slide guitar horribly, cooking, and traveling. He lives in St. Malo on the Brittany coast in France.

About The Illustrator

Doug Cushman

Product Details

Publisher: Simon Spotlight (May 2, 2023)
Length: 32 pages
ISBN13: 9781665926478
Ages: 4 - 6
Fountas & Pinnell™ H These books have been officially leveled by using the F&P Text Level Gradient™ Leveling System

Raves and Reviews

"This is an adorable story about friendship and fun told in speech bubbles very similar to those seen in the Mo Willems’s “Elephant and Piggie” stories. The cartoonlike illustrations and large speech bubbles will appeal to young children. This looks to be the first of many adventures for the unlikely pair. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase, as it will have broad appeal to the preschool and the beginning reader population."

– School Library Journal, May 2023