Hooray for Spring
It’s springtime, and young squirrels Mick, Mack, and Molly are exploring treetops around their tree-trunk home. As they climb excitedly through the branches, they discover a caterpillar eating leaves, bees “sucking the nectar from the blossoms,” and then a hungry baby bird—but what does it want to eat? Not the pinecones or cherry blossoms that the squirrel trio kindly offers. Then mama bird returns with a worm, and the squirrels watch in amazement as the baby bird opens wide. Back home, the squirrels retell the story to Mama and Papa during their own mealtime. The charming color illustrations, filled with cute, cartoonish animal characters, convey the wonder and beauty of spring. Children will enjoy the entertaining details in the intricately rendered pictures, from the squirrel family’s clothing to their walnut-shell dishes, and the lively dialogue among the characters will make this an upbeat story hour choice. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Shelle Rosenfeld