A FRIEND FOR ALL SEASONS

Cute Robbie Raccoon learns nature lessons via the life cycle of Father Oak. Robbie loves the stream near his home, the swishy grass and, most of all, Father Oak, the tree in which he was born and around which he plays with his friend Chip, a squirrel. When the seasons change, Robbie, Chip, Blackbird and some other small animals try, unsuccessfully, to use fallen leaves as a kind of blanket to protect Father Oak. Mother explains that the falling leaves are a signal that winter is coming, and that Father Oak will be just fine. The raccoons and their neighbors need to gather acorns and make their own winter blankets. Matsuoka’s mixed-media pictures show the seasonal changes on Father Oak and the surrounding environment in a warm palette of earth tones. A gentle tale with a nifty lesson. (Picture book. 3-6)