Book excerpt: A chapter book for advanced readers set in a chain of tropical islands . . . This story charts the intertwining friendships of a crab, a goat, a bird, and a gecko. Along the way, there are the usual challenges of our eat-or-be-eaten world. The perils of timidity, confusion, and self-doubt. The enticements of vanity and routine. The rewards of fearless generosity and genuine trust.