Possum, the lead character of Possum’s Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter is back in Possum and the Summer Storm. First, Hunter’s illustrious are fantastic. They are lighthearted, realistic and full of their own details and story. Second, this is a sweet story of a daddy possum and the little possums and what happens after their home is washed away in the storm. Finally, I was missing some scientific information. I was wondering, “Isn’t it the mother possum and not the father possum who takes care of the babies?” and “Shouldn’t she be telling you what we call a possum home/den?” Since I do not know a lot about possums, I was looking for more than just a story. Of course, possums do not talk to each other or other animals, so this is fantasy where anything is possible and I really needed to go with the flow of things!
The science does come into play a little with how other animals make their home (the chipmunk digs, the bird makes a nest high up and so on). The building of each unique home by each unique animal is the science. However, it stays in a fiction format without taking away from the scientific parts but you are always in the adventure of our possum family.
Part of the publisher description is: Possum returns in a lushly illustrated story about new homes and old friends. This is the perfect description for the book. It has a classic feel with modern ideas and text.