POSSUM AND THE PEEPER

Possum (Possum’s Harvest Moon, 1996), curled in his warm winter nest, reluctantly opens one small eye to the “Peep! Peep! Peep!” he hears. Something has awakened him and he’s not happy about it, but he decides to find out who’s being so inconsiderate. The din isn’t coming from the catbirds building their nest, but they decide to come along. The trio encounters a growly bear who’s also been awakened; the muskrat down in the marsh joins in as the noise gets louder and louder. Pushing aside the reeds, the disgruntled animals encounter “a small spot on the bank”—the source of all the clamor, a peeper. “Rise and shine!” he shouts, “It’s spring!” The little fellow is so insistent that soon everyone is enjoying the first warm day of the season. Sweetly expressive, Hunter’s illustrations in watercolor, colored pencil, and pen-and-ink cross-hatching are as irresistible as the peeper. Alternating between close-ups and sun-filled landscapes, the scenes capture the essence of spring and complement the well-paced, gently humorous text. (Picture book. 4-8)