TAKING CARE OF MAMA

When Mama takes sick, the doctor orders bedrest. “But there’s work to do,” she protests. “You rest, Mama, WE’LL take care of YOU!” This well-meaning raccoon dad and three kits proceed to make breakfast, lunch, dinner—and (predictably) a terrible mess. Mama calls down that she’s feeling much better, sending dad and kits into a frenzy of cleaning. If the story line is nothing new and the verse nothing brilliant, graphically, these raccoons are hot stuff. Pear-shaped, with tiny pipestem legs and feet, their beady eyes and pointy noses elevate them well above the common ruck of cute, anthropomorphized animal while still keeping them entirely child-friendly. The hollow-tree home that serves as the setting provides a bright, visually uncluttered background for the action. Nice work—this young illustrator is going places. (Picture book. 3-5)