The Moon of the Chickarees (The Thirteen Moons)
Grade 2-4-- In exploring the month of April in the life of an American red squirrel, George smoothly introduces many aspects of the chickaree, as it is also called: food, habitat, mating, growth, enemies. Other animals of the Bitterroot Valley of Montana are also briefly described. This revision covers the same information as the earlier book (Crowell, 1968; o.p.), but expands a few scenes. It repeatedly characterizes April as the ``moon of the rights of property owners,'' a strained and not always fitting metaphor. Acrylic color paintings, fewer in number and more static in style, have replaced the lively black-and-white drawings. The month of June is the ``moon of growing up'' for young foxes in the second readable, sometimes poetic, book. The lively text follows five pups as their parents teach them to fend for themselves in the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania. It also introduces briefly other flora and fauna. The text from the 1968 edition (Crowell; o.p.) has been altered stylistically but not substantively. Detailed full-color paintings have replaced soft black-and-white sketches. Increased white space makes both versions more attractive; also useful are the added indexes and bibliographies. Attractive, but not necessary purchases for libraries that have the previous editions. --Kathleen Odean, Moses Brown School, Providence, RICopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.