BETTER TOGETHER!

When a thunderstorm throws two families into a tight shared space, they learn that being together can be fun.

The howling wind and shaking trees prompt Mrs. Squirrelly to rush her children, Beck and Fern, from their high branch to an oak tree with a hollow trunk. Meanwhile, Mr. McMunk is leading his two kids, Peanut and Sam, from their earthbound home to what turns out to be the same refuge. The children are shy at first but become friends when they begin to play together. The storm rages on, and everyone begins to experience a bit of cabin fever. The next morning, over breakfast, “the grumping got worse.” Complaints center on excessive chatter and on not sharing; everyone just wants to be back home. But when the families are restored to their respective homes, neither one is as idyllic as either the Squirrellys or the McMunks remember. They pine for the togetherness they experienced in the hollow tree. Each decides to visit the other; luckily, they meet outside the hole in the oak tree where they sheltered during the storm. Their reunion is joyous, and the two families decide to merge. Meet the McSquirrelies! Robach and Shue’s message has value—the broadcast journalist and actor, respectively, had their own blended family—but with no “before” glimpses of the separate families, the premise is somewhat murky and the resolution abrupt, at best. Wen’s cartoon animals, lightly anthropomorphized with accessories such as hats and glasses, are definitely cute. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Simple and sweet.