Little by Little

Scramble, a small otter, is good at many things – mud sliding and making sandcastles among them. But there is one essential skill he can’t seem to master: swimming. His friends Bear and Beaver aren’t very kind: ‘What? Not at all? At your age?’ Scramble tries and tries, but it is only when big sister tells him that he must ‘start small’ and offers support that he makes progress and finally cracks it. The pictures are wonderfully approachable, full of flowers and bugs, birds and fish and cuddly animals in clear, bright colours, and the message is explicit without overwhelming the story. A lovely production.