Possum and the Peeper

by Anne Hunter

Overview

Peep! Peep! Peep! Possum opened one small eye. What was that noise? Snug and warm in the midst of his winter's nap, Possum is roused by a small peep, peep, peep. In cranky morning fashion he is determined to find out who has so rudely awakened him. He and his friends, a bear, a muskrat, and a couple of catbirds, who also want the racket to stop, search high and low for the mystery peeper. Soon, though, with the sun shining down warm on their feathers and fur, they realize it wasn't so bad to be rousted out of bed after all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544104044
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/15/2013
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	510L (what's this?)
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Anne Hunter grew up in South Florida and now lives with her family in the hills of rural Vermont where she can hear the crickets, who sing with the frogs, who listen to the distant hoot of an owl. Anne is known for watching the squirrels, listening to the insects and writing about the natural world around us. She has written and illustrated many children’s books, including Possum’s Harvest Moon, which reviewers described as "a sensational selection," with illustrations that are "beautifully rendered" and have "a hushed mystery." Visit Anne at annehunterstudio.com.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Wonderful. . . . Perfect for both lap sharing and reading aloud.” Booklist, ALA

“Sweetly expressive, Hunter’s illustrations . . . are as irresistible as the peeper.” Kirkus Reviews

“This book should be the first sign of spring in classrooms across the county.” School Library Journal

“Hunter scores again as she trumpets in he season, rousing her entrancing characters from a long rest.” Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

The endearing pin-eyed, pointy-nosed possum introduced in Hunter's debut, Possum's Harvest Moon, returns to inaugurate the spring in this charming tale. An infernal racket has awakened nature's creatures from their winter hibernation, and Possum, along with a pair of catbirds, a cranky bear and a muskrat, sets off to discover the source. "Peep! Peep! Peep!" sounds the wake-up call on this first warm day of spring as the animals venture through a woodland and swamp that are bursting with sunlight and budding flowers. While Hunter's previous book explored the woods' nocturnal landscapeswathed in crosshatch shadow and moonlighthere she washes the pages with watercolors in a cool palette of avocado greens and shimmering yellows. Double-page spreads carry readers over landscapes of newly sprouting grass and along the edges of blooming marshland, and within each, Hunter displays her whimsical sense of size and proportion (e.g., an extreme close-up of a toothy bear muzzle confronting the tiny peeper culprit). Yet the animals remain true to their habitat: when the peeper urges everyone out of bed ("Time for breakfast! Tea and toast!"), they commune around a lily pad of curled green morsels. Hunter scores again as she trumpets in the season, rousing her entrancing characters from a long rest. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

K-Gr 2Possum returns in a story even more delightful than Possum's Harvest Moon (Houghton, 1996). Once again, the engaging little creature visits other animals with a questionwho is making that insistent peeping noise? The catbirds have no answer. The bear and the muskrat don't know who is making the racket, either. However, everyone offers to help Possum find the source of the disturbing sound. The cooperative effort of the animals and the joyful repetition of the "Peep! Peep! Peep!" will make this book an endearing read-aloud. The watercolor illustrations glow with a delicious yellow light that makes readers feel the gentle warmth of a spring sun. Almost every picture shows plants sprouting, flowers in bloom, and insects buzzing. The grumbling bear is adorable as he reveals just enough teeth to prove his intention to protect his friends from the loud peeper. Facial expressions are irresistible when the animals discover that the source of the noise is a little frog. This book should be the first sign of spring in classrooms across the country.Jackie Hechtkopf, Talent House School, Fairfax, VA

School Library Journal

Possum (Possum's Harvest Moon, 1996), curled in his warm winter nest, reluctantly opens one small eye to the "Peep! Peep! Peep!" he hears. Something has awakened him and he's not happy about it, but he decides to find out who's being so inconsiderate. The din isn't coming from the catbirds building their nest, but they decide to come along. The trio encounters a growly bear who's also been awakened; the muskrat down in the marsh joins in as the noise gets louder and louder. Pushing aside the reeds, the disgruntled animals encounter "a small spot on the bank"þthe source of all the clamor, a peeper. "Rise and shine!" he shouts, "It's spring!" The little fellow is so insistent that soon everyone is enjoying the first warm day of the season. Sweetly expressive, Hunter's illustrations in watercolor, colored pencil, and pen-and-ink cross-hatching are as irresistible as the peeper. Alternating between close-ups and sun-filled landscapes, the scenes capture the essence of spring and complement the well-paced, gently humorous text. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

Wonderful. . . . Perfect for both lap sharing and reading aloud.” Booklist, ALA

“Sweetly expressive, Hunter’s illustrations . . . are as irresistible as the peeper.” Kirkus Reviews

“This book should be the first sign of spring in classrooms across the county.” School Library Journal

“Hunter scores again as she trumpets in he season, rousing her entrancing characters from a long rest.” Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher