Review from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY!
In this funny early reader, a dimwitted bear named Waltur learns-the hard way-what is really meant by three age-old idioms, each highlighted in its own story. (The stories are further broken down into four easy-to-digest chunks.) Waltur's wise and patient roommate Matilda introduces each adage, then watches as Waltur's subsequent clueless behavior drives home the meaning of the moral. In the first tale, Waltur is eager to buy a pet pig at the fair. "Do not buy a pig in a poke," says Matilda, explaining that a poke is a bag. "You should not buy what you cannot see." But when a wily fox proffers a pig in a box, Waltur figures he's home free. The pig, however, turns out to be imperious and usurps Waltur's place in front of the TV. The second tale's exegesis on "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched" finds Waltur hatching a money-making scheme by raising chickens from eggs but finds himself stuck with a passel of ducklings. The final story teaches the meaning of "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." Despite Waltur's missteps, things do work out for him, sending an upbeat message to youngsters that at times one only learns by trial and error. Gregorich's (Beep, Beep!) prose tickles nascent readers while building their confidence (Waltur to the horse: "I can make you drink water." Horse to Waltur: "I think not"). Sorra's (King o' the Cats) chipper spot watercolors add just the right touch of comic visual stimuli. An afterword offers a brief history on each idiom. Ages 7-10. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4–Gregorich has fun with idioms in this easy reader featuring a single-minded bear. First, Waltur plans to get a pet and his friend Matilda cautions him, Do not buy a pig in a poke, meaning sight unseen. He takes the advice literally and purchases a pig sealed not in a bag, but in a box, and ends up with an unpleasantly bossy porker. Next, the enterprising bear plans to raise chickens from eggs and sell them for honey money. When Matilda warns, Don't count your chickens before they are hatched, Waltur refrains from counting the actual number of eggs, but remains convinced that they will all hatch without a hitch. He is in for a surprise when the big day arrives. In the third tale, Waltur is determined to prove Matilda wrong when she says, You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink, but only succeeds in landing in the drink himself. The author makes excellent use of repetition, sight words, and engaging dialogue to create a manageable and entertaining read. Sorra's cartoon-style watercolors are perfectly suited to the lively text and help round out the characters' personalities with added emotional details. A brief note introduces idioms and explains the origins of those that appear in the book. These clever and accessible tales will capture the interest of youngsters who are ready for short chapters but are still most comfortable with the beginning-reader format.–Carol L. MacKay, Forestburg School Library, Alberta, Canada. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. In an entertaining early-reader chapter book, Gregorich tells three funny animal stories that dramatize idioms and play with words in a cozy domestic setting. In "Waltur Buys a Pig in a Poke," Waltur ends up with a bossy pig that treats him like the pet. Similar funny scenarios and turnarounds characterize the other two stories in the book, which demonstrate the familiar expressions "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched" and "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." Sorra's cheerful line-and-watercolor pictures show Waltur and his friends trying to keep control in the uproar, and a cheerful concluding note traces the idioms to their probable origins hundreds of years ago. The wordplay will appeal to kids as much as the wry outcomes, when the powerful find that they've got everything wrong. Hazel Rochman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved