Amos the mouse loves the ocean and,
dreaming of faraway places, he builds a sturdy boat, loads it with provisions
and sets sail full of zest for life. Sadly, even as he rests on the deck
marveling at the beauty of the sky, he tumbles into the sea. Calmly treading
water and hoping for a happy resolution before fatigue overcomes him, Amos
meets up with Boris the whale and discovers, despite their differences, that
they are both mammals! Boris agrees to ferry Amos back to his home on the way
to a whale conference near the Ivory Coast, cementing their friendship. Years
later the pair meets again, when Boris is beached by a huge storm and unable to
move back into the water. Tiny Amos recruits two elephant friends to roll Boris
into the waves, grateful that he can return a life-saving favor to his friend.
The grace, lucidity and gentle humor of William Steig’s writing has enchanted
children and adults for decades, and those qualities have the perfect
complement in his illustrations for Amos & Boris. Adult readers may
be familiar with Steig’s wry New Yorker covers and cartoons. The story
of Amos and Boris’s unlikely friendship needs no embellishment, yet it is easy
to imagine it as an allegory for human friendships that can bridge big
differences when people have the chance to spend time together and become
acquainted. Ages 5-8.
