Ol' Mama Squirrel

"Chook, chook, chook!" That's the sound of Mama Squirrel protecting her babies from all manner of danger in the park. The no-nonsense mother peering from her safe heart-shaped hollow in a tree lets the reader know who is in charge of her beloved babies. Whether it's a cat, dog, owl, tree-pruner, kite, or airplane that tries to approach, each is met with the same scolding and soon sent packing. Mama has to summon up all her courage (and an army of neighboring and willing squirrels) to fend off the last challenge -- "a great, growling grizzly bear." Lively, loose, gestural drawings, in ink and watercolor and crayon, keep the story light. Smaller framed pictures (often with Mama bursting through them) alternate with double-page spreads, in earthy greens and browns against generous white space. Mama is always front and center, here lounging on the high boughs scolding the frightened owl into finding easier pickings, there sneaking a look at a nosy dog with sharp, angry eyes. Human parents will admire her singleness of purpose, and youngsters will chuckle at the way she challenges danger with a familiar wag of a finger, raised eyebrow, and fierce hands-on-hips stance that lets us all know, "And that takes care of that!" robin l. smith