Good Sports (Cork and Fuzz) [Hardcover]

Dori Chaconas (Author), Lisa McCue (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2007 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Cork and Fuzz

Cork is a short muskrat who likes to win at games. Fuzz is a tall possum who also likes to win at games. Two best friends. Both like to win. What will happen when they play games against each other?

An Easy-to-Read series that critics compare to “the measured dialogue and sweet illogic of Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad,”** Cork and Fuzz are sure to win fans with each new book.

*Kirkus Reviews, starred review of Cork and Fuzz

**Kirkus Reviews, starred review of Cork and Fuzz: Short and Tall

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—Cork and Fuzz, two adorably illustrated characters, return in a story that addresses an important topic. Competition strains the best-friendship of Cork, a short muskrat, and Fuzz, a tall, athletic possum who has a tendency to win easily and boast a lot. Even though clever Cork thinks of several different games to play, he ends up losing all of them. Readers who have come up against poor sports will empathize with him and grit their teeth as competition turns to conflict. Fuzz repeatedly says, "I won!" and Cork threatens to go home. When the buddies realize that their friendship is at stake, they come up with a fun and clever compromise. Filled with repeated vocabulary and simple sentences, the text keeps the plot moving quickly. Lively illustrations depict the action as well as the woodsy setting. Kudos to McCue for providing the characters with a wide range of convincing expressions and activities while still having them look just like a possum and a muskrat.—June Wolfe, Bushnell-Sage Library, Sheffield, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

-Readers who have come up against poor sports will empathize.+-School Library Journal

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (February 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067006145X
• ISBN-13: 978-0670061457
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,303,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've always been a storyteller, a singer of nursery rhymes, a twister of truth. The oldest girl in a family of seven kids, I used my survival skills as a storyteller to keep my younger siblings from maiming each other in poking wars. I loved books and I'd read for hours. And I would 'live' in those stories. If the hero suffered, so did I. I once roller skated around our block twenty-eight times in a snow storm, mentally fighting the elements in the Yukon. I froze my butt off, but let me tell you - it was perfect suffering!

As an adult, I read to my twins often. Then because of a nagging need to do something creative, I began to write. I learned to submit my writing to children's magazine publishers, ever conscious of the postage money I was sure I was throwing away. But the challenge was there! The Yukon (and now the publishing world) needed to be tamed - to heck with the suffering or the cost of a stamp!

I sold my first story to Highlights for Children, then many more to that magazine, to Jack and Jill, Scholastic and others. I sold three picture books: A Hat for Lily, and In A Window on Greenwater Street, to Steck/Vaughn, and The Way The Tiger Walked, to Simon & Schuster. I was a published author! But I didn't feel like an author. At least I had the publishers fooled. Not one of them called to tell me it was all a huge mistake.

I left all these glories, and doubts, in the early '70's. Life called me in different directions for the next thirty years. We now had four daughters and schools that introduced us to that annoying word tuition. I went to work part time at various jobs - preschool, nursing home, medical clinic, hospital. I quieted my creative demon in snitches and snatches of small projects until 1997, when two amazing things happened. My daughter, Stacy DeKeyser, started to write, and I was introduced to this new, alien thing called a computer.

I had EMAIL! Stacy lived in Atlanta and cyber channels smoked with our back and forth messages about writing - she asking questions about my long ago experiences, and me, trying to remember. She introduced me to online writers' groups and after a few short months, I was drawn back into the world of writing.

My first picture book, On a Wintry Morning (illustrated by Stephen T. Johnson) appeared in the bookstores in October 2000. New books are reviewed and the reviews can be good or bad. If the reviewer writes: "Would someone please shoot this writer," that's bad. If the book is given a 'starred review,' that's good. On a Wintry Morning received two starred reviews (lucky me!) and also won the Archer/Eckblad Award for the best picture book to be written by a Wisconsin author in 2000. I was astonished. The book has a simple, rhyming text about a daddy and his baby daughter spending a wintry morning together. How appropriate is that, having watched my husband help raise four daughters?

With the help of my daughter and my writing friends, I think I'm becoming a good writer. In addition to a good number of picture books, I've written a series of five easy-to-read Cork and Fuzz books. It's been an interesting and pleasurable journey.

And why do I write? I can't give just one reason. But I think what comes closest to being the most important reason goes something like this. Close your eyes and imagine you hear a child laugh. Then imagine that you are the one who made him laugh. Can you feel that inner glow?

Please visit my website: www.dorichaconas.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars a new series for young readers, August 22, 2011

By 

Deborah Sandford "Marian the Librarian" (Madison, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Sports (Cork and Fuzz) (Mass Market Paperback)

This story is about two young friends who are very different: a short muskrat (Cork) and a tall possum (Fuzz). Their personalities are quite different as well! It is stated right away that their similarities include playing games and enjoying winning. They race, play stickball and tackle ball. Fuzz is adroit and pushes the win. Cork feels awful. Cork proposes a swimming race, not knowing that Fuzz can't swim. Fuzz hides (claiming that he changed the rules to `hide and seek'). Cork thinks his friend has sunk into the water and is very sad. Fuzz is not a friend that I would like to have! Elements abound to assist a young reader become acclimated to books: simple dialog, onomatopoeia, words that are italicized, and even an ellipsis. Enhanced by colorful, expressive and highly enjoyable illustrations, this is a welcome addition to Easy Reader selections in the library or at home.

4.0 out of 5 stars cute story about good friends, August 28, 2007

By 

Karyn W "blckwidow8" (Kansas City, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Good Sports (Cork and Fuzz) (Hardcover)

This is a great book for children 6-9 who can learn about being good sports while having fun with friends. The text is at a level children will understand, and the illustrations are detailed. The animals don't wear clothing and are cute in their interactions that children will be able to relate to.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Friends-Cork and Fuzz Good Sports, March 25, 2007

By 

Mona Pease "children's author" (Maine,USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Good Sports (Cork and Fuzz) (Hardcover)

No doubt about it, Cork and Fuzz fans know that the muscrat and possum are best friends. But when the two play games together, who will be the winner? In Cork and Fuzz Good Sports, author Dori Chacanos cleverly gives the beginner chapter book reader a reason to read to the end. The heartwarming, action filled story helps them feel all the emotions that friends might experience when both want to win. Cork and Fuzz even invent their own games to be the winner! It's only when one friend seems gone forever that the two will eventually come back together and find the solution that will finally solve their "I always want to win" dilemma. You'll have to read for yourself to see the surprise ending. I'm not giving away any secrets here!

Lisa McCue's sweet illustrations perfectly compliment Ms Chacanos' story. I will eagerly pass this book on to one of my best friends!