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Jack Williamson
is in love with wild life and nature. He shares this addiction
with his two grandchildren, Timmy and Laura, who live in Cape
Elizabeth, Maine. He observes ordinary creatures and discovers
that they are not at all ordinary but beings with personality
and sense of purpose.
In an
adoring episode, Scamper the squirrel, taunts cats, dogs and
other adversaries bent of his destruction, by outwitting and
beguiling them. Scamper demonstrates his skills at obtaining
food using extraordinary methods which would defy imitation
by animals with less imagination and guile. He performs remarkable
acrobatic feats with ease and delights in outwitting his human
antagonists who unsuccessfully try to deny him access to bird
feeders by greasing poles and hanging protective tin covers.
Ebony,
the crow, is the eternal pest who screams out his "caws!"
incessantly. He devastates lawns in his search for grubs and
worms and tears trash bags to shreds on garbage collection
day. So much for Ebony's dark side. He is characterized by
Mr. Williamson as something more than just a pest. Ebony becomes
Timmy and Laura's friend as he perches on a branch outside
the kitchen window providing a good view to watch the children
eating their breakfast. Ebony, through Mr. Williamson's tender
treatment, is transformed from pest to pal.
The sighting
of the first spring robin is a well-appreciated event for
the children. Fire, the robin, named so because of his bright,
red breast, becomes the actor on nature's stage. In a well-deserved
respite from the ravages of winter, Fire brings hope of renewal
to the neighborhood. He coaxed the neighbors from their heated
homes to appreciate the wonder of plants about to burst into
color. Timmy and Laura explore all of the intricacies of nest
building and the hatching of baby robins from the three blue-green
eggs. Fire reveals much of the secret lives of robins.
Mr. Williamson
amplifies the goodness to be found in nature and, in so doing,
makes us appreciate that we too are but a small part in the
handiwork of God. His descriptions abound with humor and gentleness
and make the reader aware of our friends, the animals.
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