Tuck in the Pool

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1-Trepidatious novice swimmers are sure to relate to Tuck's dilemma and its serendipitous resolution. An otherwise jolly little pig, Tuck dreads his swimming class and steadfastly refuses to put his head under water. Facing the inevitable, he takes his toy spider, Snyder, along for luck. Patting Snyder on the back gives him courage enough, but when Snyder winds up on the bottom of the pool, Tuck heroically dives to his rescue. This story is blatant and unabashed bibliotherapy, but Weston's watercolor and pencil drawings have a modicum of charm, and her buoyant little pigs strike just the right note.?Marcia Hupp, Mamaroneck Public Library, NYCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 3^-6. Tuck the pig is learning to swim. He doesn't like it, can't bear the thought of water in his eyes and ears. Everyone else at the swimming lesson, including his little sister, seems to just love splashing about, but when it's time for Tuck to go underwater, he just can't bring himself to try. Cheerful, funny pictures in watercolor and pencil show pink pigs splashing about while Tuck inches his way gingerly into the water. Mom pig, large in large sun hat and tropical print sundress, is firm and nice as she slathers the sunscreen on Tuck's face. In a simple plot twist, Tuck loses his lucky spider and has to dive down to get it--underwater and with his eyes open. Children afraid of the water will find comfort in the acceptance of Tuck's fear and in the story of how he finds it in himself to be brave. Hazel Rochman

Midwest Book Review
Tuck is a pig who hates water and doesn't want swimming lessons: he resists all instruction but ultimately finds in himself a real bravery when put to the test over his toy spider. Weston's engaging drawings and story will attract many youngsters with similar water fears.

Bulletin of the Center for Children
"There's a sympathetic and concise aptness to the text that makes the story ruefully endearing as well as readily understandable. The watercolor-and-colored-pencil artwork, tidily boxed on every page, shows amusingly angular porkers who nonetheless possess a bit more texture and gravity than their often cartoonish picture-book cousins. . . . This will make a nice splash."

Review
"There's a sympathetic and concise aptness to the text that makes the story ruefully endearing as well as readily understandable. The watercolor-and-colored-pencil artwork, tidily boxed on every page, shows amusingly angular porkers who nonetheless possess a bit more texture and gravity than their often cartoonish picture-book cousins. . . . This will make a nice splash."

Review
"There's a sympathetic and concise aptness to the text that makes the story ruefully endearing as well as readily understandable. The watercolor-and-colored-pencil artwork, tidily boxed on every page, shows amusingly angular porkers who nonetheless possess a bit more texture and gravity than their often cartoonish picture-book cousins. . . . This will make a nice splash."

Book Description
The only thing Tuck doesn't like about swimming lessons is the water. He worries that water might get in his ears and feel awful. Or it might get in his eyes! "You'll get used to that," says his mom. "Your eyes are waterproof," says his swim teacher. "I'm not going swimming," says Tuck. So no one is more surprised than Tuck when he heroically takes the plunge--and finds out he can get into the swim of things after all.

Card catalog description
Tuck, a little pig taking swimming lessons, overcomes his fear of the water with the help of his lucky rubber spider.

About the Author
Martha Weston has illustrated many books for children. She lives in Fairfax, California.


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There's a sympathetic and concise aptness to the text that makes the story ruefully endearing as well as readily understandable. . . . This will make a nice splash.


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