TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER The Bookworm Sez Advertisement

Do you always agree with everything your friend says?

I'll bet you don't.

You're a smart kid with opinions of your own, and what your friend thinks isn't always what you think, too.

For instance, something green that hops might be a frog to you but your friend might call it a toad.

You really love a certain television star and your friend might think that's dumb. She loves someone else.

It's the same, yet different. In the new book "Our Walk in the Woods" by Charity Nebbe, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler, you'll see two very funny and very different ways of seeing a simple stroll in the forest. Every Saturday morning, Abby gets up early. On Saturdays, she takes her dog, Kirby, for a walk in the woods. Abby looks forward to getting out, and she knows Kirby likes it, too.

Every Saturday morning, Kirby gets up early, too. Much, much earlier than Abby does, in fact.

Springtime is Abby's favorite time of year. Birds are singing, leaves on the trees are green, and flowers smell wonderful.

Springtime is Kirby's favorite time of year, too. Small animals are everywhere and while it's hard to catch them, Kirby can smell them!

The park is a beautiful place, and Abby would like to keep it that way. She gets really bugged when people throw trash all over, and she makes sure to pick it up.

For Kirby, garbage is a beautiful opportunity. He likes it when there's garbage on the ground and he wishes Abby would let him pick it up.

It's fun to stop and smell the flowers, but as much as Abby enjoys that, she wishes Kirby would just hurry up. The park "belongs" to Kirby, though, and it takes lots of time to remind other dogs just whose territory they're in.

For Abby, the only bad thing about springtime is the mud and icky things that are on the ground. Kirby seems to find them all.

For Kirby, the best thing of all about springtime is the mud and icky things that are on the ground. He seems to find them all.

When Abby is done, it's time to go home. Or was that Kirby's decision?

Sometimes, you want to read a book to your kids to spark a conversation you need to have. Other times, you want a read-aloud that instructs. And then there are books that are purely for entertainment.

"Our Walk in the Woods" falls into that last category.

Kids will love seeing the world from two perspectives, particularly from the dog's-eye view which is unique and funny.

I was as totally charmed by the illustrations as I was by the quick-to-read story, and I think, if you get this book for your kids, it's one that won't sit idle on the shelf very often.

If your child loves a story (and what kid doesn't?), grab a copy of "Our Walk in the Woods." For bedtime or any time, enjoying this cute book is as easy as a walk in the park.

"Our Walk in the Woods" by Charity Nebbe, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler, Mitten Press, $17.95, 32 pages.