The Twist-a-Roo

PreS-Gr 2–Badger has the shiny-object problem of a crow—and worse, the attention span of a gnat. She finds a kaleidoscope while exploring in “people town,” and can’t wait to show it to her fellow forest-dwellers, all charmingly imagined and portrayed by Litten. But Porcupine is preoccupied with the coming snow, and Beaver thinks Badger would be better off insulating her sett for the cold. In other words, Badger is the grasshopper in this upcycled Aesop, surrounded by ants who are preparing for winter. The plot ticks along, and Badger faces winter alone, down to her last log and with a very hungry tummy. That’s when the others, with a case of the winter blues, descend on her sett with food and warm blankets, ready for a peek at that kaleidoscope and the presents Badger made in her spare time. Whimsical wintry scenes keep the story from becoming too scary, and the scene of friends streaming in is joyfully satisfying.