Chubbo's Pool by Betsy Lewin

1. Bibliography:

Lewin, Betsy. Chubbo’s Pool. New York, NY. Clarion Book, 1996. ISBN 039592863X

2. Plot Summary

Chubbo is a grumpy hippo who stumbles upon a pool and claims it for himself, scaring away all visitors who come to use the watering hole. When Chubbo’s pool dries up and he goes in search of a new place to cool down, he discovers that all the animals he turned away are sharing a watering hole together. Chubbo trudges back to his mud wallow only to find that the other animals come after him, water in tow, to refill his pool. The hippo discovers that the cool water is more welcoming when shared with other animals.

3. Critical Analysis

Chubbo’s Pool has such a striking moral lesson to it without the lesson being the main focus of the story. The character of Chubbo seems like many stubborn, young children who face the social issue of learning to share. The hippo’s attitude is very realistic and readers from any cultural background can appreciate lesson Chubbo learns at the story’s end.

Betsy Lewin’s watercolor artwork in Chubbo’s Pool is able to stand alone. The flowing colors are able to magically illustrate the character’s emotions as well as create a realistic vision of the Botswana delta and it’s native animals. The purposeful splashing and mixing of the watercolor paints is extremely pleasing to look at and easily captivates the reader.

4. Awards and Review Excerpts

· From Booklist: “Inspired by the author's experience in Botswana, this is a delightful tale that humorously conveys the value of sharing and the joys of friendship.”

· From Library School Journal: “The text is simple but rhythmic and rich with expressive adjectives, excellent for reading aloud.”

5. Connections

· Pair with other titles about sharing and/or selfishness. Example titles are It’s Mine by Leo Lionni or Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister.

· After the story discuss reasons why it is polite to share. Have students share items they have shared with a friend or classmate and how it made each of them feel.

· Use as an introduction to researching animals. Choose an animal listed in the glossary to research as a class or group.

· Use the animal glossary to introduce text features. The glossary is an excellent lead in to non-fiction text glossaries.

6. Personal Response

The book’s watercolor illustrations are exquisite! I spent more time looking at the pictures than I did reading the words. Although the story is well written, the illustrations are the main focus of the book. I personally appreciated the animal glossary in the back of the book. Children are always wanting to know what kinds of animals the characters are and the glossary provides an excellent starting point to researching the native wildlife.