MISSISSIPPI POSSUM

What happens to those who live on the banks of the river when the Mississippi floods? The possum, which was usually too afraid to venture from his solitary home, had to scurry inland to safety along with the other animals and people. Just as the emergency led to the temporary companionship of animals that are usually enemies, the possum had to find security with a human family which, incidentally, the illustrations indicate is Negro. The story is minimal, but the tenor of life on the lower Mississippi has been strongly suggested and the message about interdependence has been well realized. The black and white and softly colored prints are attuned to the mood of the story.