FICTION

Frisky Brisky Hippity Hop

adapt. by Susan Lurie. photos by Murray Head. unpaged. CIP. Holiday House. 2012. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-2410-8. LC 2011018742.
COPY ISBN
PreS-K—This charming book, adapted from a poem by White written 140 years ago, with new verses added by Lurie, follows a day in the life of a squirrel. The rhyming text is short, with a few words to a sentence per page. "Furly curly/What a tail;/Tall as a feather/Broad as a sail/Giggly wriggly/Let's have fun/Leap and soar from shade to sun." The naturalistic photographs show the squirrel fleeing from a hawk, hiding in a tree, and building a leafy nest; they are mostly close-ups and provide an excellent view of a creature's features as well as the beauty of the surroundings. The story ends with the squirrel burrowing into a tree cavity for the night. Although not an essential purchase, this title could find a place in any storytime or lesson about squirrels or the fall. The photographs make it stand out from other books on these topics.—Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY
New verses by Susan Lurie. In precise, brief, staccato verse that's deftly rhymed and timed, the text (based on a 1871 poem by Alexina B. White) describes the play and work of squirrels. The clear, detailed photos show these popular rodents engaging in the exact activities the verses note; the result is a playful, engaging close-up: "Hawk a-hunting / Can't catch me / Snickery trickery / Behind the tree!"

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