Bob and Joss Take a Hike! by Peter McCleery (review)

Bored with marshmallow roasting in the great outdoors, Bob proposes that he and pal Joss take a hike. Easygoing Joss is agreeable, but his unhurried approach becomes the problem as they take to the trail without the map, which Joss seems to have forgotten. Bob's anxiety snowballs in proportion to Joss's laid-back take on nature; where Bob sees the wrong path, Joss sees any path as a good one; when Bob is worried he'll never see home again, Joss points out he will also avoid homework. McCleery notes elevations in page corners to indicate the boys' ascents and descents, and eventually, they do stumble back into their campsite when Joss produces the map. The guys' paper-white skin gives them the air of cutouts as they move against the stippled backgrounds of the mountain flora, and Vogel garners some sympathy for poor ol' Bob by surrounding him with a constant cloud of insects and an accruing set of bug bites—a personal plague that never bothers Joss. The mismatched buddies theme is well trodden, but in this amiable outing the goofy buddies make good company.