Ophelia

One beautiful morning, Ophelia wakes and stretches, only to hear Kevin moaning from far away. Being a concerned hippopotamus, she leaps out of the water and goes running to help.

Along the way, Ophelia passes Meerkat and tells him that Kevin has a stomachache. Meerkat grabs a hot water bottle and sprints to the rescue, telling Frog of Kevin's terrible cramp and sore throat. Frog fixes herbal tea, jogs off, and tells Porcupine that Kevin has pains everywhere. Pains become a broken leg to Rhino, and a body full of broken bones to Toucan. News of Kevin's moaning becomes so exaggerated that, by the time Toucan talks to Turtle, Toucan reports that Kevin is dead.

As the friends mourn, Ophelia and Kevin walk to them. Amazed that their dearest crocodile is still alive, the friends find that Kevin only had butterflies in his stomach.

In this peppy picture book by award-winning duo Ingrid and Dieter Schubert, animal friends learn that though nervousness is not lethal, a little exaggeration sure makes it contagious!