Road trip! A Whiskers Hollow Adventure by Steve Light

 Of the many books I loved as a child, some of those I remember most fondly were ones that included maps on the end pages and details - humorous, beautiful, or just interesting - throughout. Loving a book as a child, does not make it an enduring work of literature, worthy of being perpetually in print, or even of particular interest to modern readers. However, it's always delightful when I find a new book that combines my own warm memories of childhood favorites with a fresh, attractive story for today's young readers and listeners.

Whiskers Hollow is drawn in green and black on the endpages, a network of trees, rivers, stumps, and a sprinkling of vehicles. The title page shows the interior of a stump, complete with a sprinkling of dirt, comfy chairs, fireplace, and rugs. The story proper begins on a lovely day, "more beautiful than a hubcap shining in the sun." Bear is out for a drive, zipping along a tree trunk in his red pickup truck, but a collision with an acorn means he needs a new headlight and so the adventure begins.

Bear zips along from tree to tree, collecting friends in his search for a new headlight. With the repeated refrain of "Follow me, friends!" they eventually arrive at Elephant's junkyard, where they search for a headlight. But only after they all have a big, messy, accident with a mud puddle, do they find the headlight. Their mission accomplished, they're ready to follow Donkey back home again for a cozy dinner.

Light's illustrations have both charm and detail. In panels, pages, and full spreads the animals zip, slip, and bounce across the pages. It looks so natural that readers won't even question a bear in a truck small enough to drive across a tree branch and big enough to be comparable in size to an elephant, with a rabbit and mouse only a little smaller. The miniature illustrations would make this difficult for a virtual or in-person storytime, but the rollicking text will carry listeners and enthuse them to check the book out for further perusal on their own.

For more art and process, check out Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Verdict: A tribute to friendship, perseverance, and can-do attitude with a fresh, contemporary look, readers will love this engaging story and wait eagerly for more Whiskers Hollow stories.

ISBN: 9781536209471; Published February 2021 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library