This is a charming story about a Mama Raccoon and her little toddler raccoon who, like every toddler we know, wants up….wants down…..wants inside…..wants outside….wants hugs….wants freedom..and so on. But it is done in a sweet, gentle story with Mama raccoon having much more patience with up/down, in/out than I personally do most days!
The illustrations are gorgeous and sweet in comforting, washed out colors. The story itself is beautifully simple and joyful, the excitement and adventures of a small toddler who isn’t quite ready to be too far from Mama’s arms, but inching away slowly and surely.
Reading level: ages 4-8
Page Count: 40 pages
Publisher: Beach Lane Books (March 24, 2009)
What to expect: simple words, nothing scary for kids, a gentle tale.
Publisher’s synopsis: Whether she’s up or down, whirling or twirling, dressing or bathing, snacking or snoozing, the busy little raccoon in this story enjoys each cozy moment of the day. But like many toddlers, she can’t decide if she’d rather explore on her own or climb back into her mama’s arms. Thank goodness Mama Raccoon loves to snuggle.
About the Author: Robin Luebs whose inspiration for this book came from her own family, which includes six grandchildren. Spending time with the little ones, she says, is like watching a sweet and adorable ballet: They’re up…they’re down…they’re up…they’re down. This book was born one morning as Robin was thinking about all the tireless mamas and children who perform this same dance every day, all over the world. Robin and her husband make their home in Urbana, Illinois, where she loves being up in her treetop studio, or down, poking around in her garden.
Our Rating: 4 out of 5
I was lamenting about really missing a toddler on my hip the other day. So the title caught my eye. The cover illustration is very sweet.