Sara Raccoon and the Secret Place (A Maple Forest Story)
Kindergarten-Grade 2-- Rainy forest days and sharing her room with noisy twins make Sara Raccoon glad for her secret place--a hollow spot in a small tree, just the right size for her. Then Bobby Otter discovers her secret, and the one-time friends exchange harsh words. As Sara begins to regret her outburst, the rain floods her hideout. Trying to swim out, she is rescued by Bobby, who pulls her into his refuge, declaring, "A secret is more fun when you share it with a friend." Burdick's bright, delightfully detailed acrylics are filled with serendipitous joys. Each page of text has a small illustration that extends both the textual concept and the visual clues given in the illustration on the opposite page. And although the animals are given anthropomorphic stances and clothing, they are realistically drawn with rich texture. The story moves at just the right clip and the book's small, horizontal format makes it just the right size for young readers to enjoy in their own secret place. --Claudia Cooper, Ft. Stockton Independent School District, TXCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.