HOW TO MAKE POSSUM'S HONEY BREAD

Essentially this is a recipe, tucked into a rudimentary story that wouldn't stand up by itself and, like the picture book format, seems insultingly young for the suggested 7--11 age group. In it Possum assembles Rabbit, Squirrel, Skunk, and Woodchuck for the lesson, with Woodchuck running off every now and then to placate Raccoon who is off fishing and hurt that Woodchuck would ""rather make bread"" than join him. As if aware of the lag in action Stevens throws in some riddles while the animals wait for the bread to rise, but that just makes the story seem all the more superfluous. Serious bakers can skip to the last two pages where the directions are repeated without the chatter--or, they might just start with a regular cookbook.