GOOSEBERRY PARK
by Cynthia Rylant & illustrated by Arthur Howard
In a humorous contemporary fable about friendship, courage, and loyalty, Rylant (Dog Heaven, p. 951, etc.) creates an unlikely trio of friends: Stumpy, a red squirrel, Kona, a Labrador, and Gwendolyn, a hermit crab. They are joined by Murray, a dumpster- scavenging bat with a fondness for egg rolls. When an ice storm topples the pine oak containing Stumpy's nest, Kona ventures to the rescue. He and Murray save Stumpy's children, but where is Stumpy? It's a simple story, but the tongue-in-cheek humor is sophisticated and funny. Murray's way with words and his single-minded pursuit of junk food provide much of the humor, but the other characters come through, too. A tender tale delivered by a sure hand. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 8-12)