Of all of the creatures in Milkweed Meadow, probably the most gifted storyteller is Butternut. She’s one of 9 rabbit siblings and by far probably the most anxious of the bunch. With “brambles” of catastrophe situations operating wild by way of her thoughts, Butternut is aware of she has to make use of her intelligence—what her protecting grandmother calls her “milkweed”—to outlive in a world the place she might be attacked by harmful predators.
Butternut, nonetheless, can’t cease excited about the creatures on the planet round her and the way their lives have an effect on each other. When she tries to assist some squirrels in want, a rascally blue jay steals one of her warren’s treasures, and Butternut’s defensive brambles momentarily disappear in a match of fury. Although she considers herself a coward, Butternut climbs a fence and steals the treasure again, and alongside the way in which makes mates with a robin fledgling.
As different creatures within the meadow start to hearken to her tales, Butternut finds herself questioning some of her grandmother’s recommendation and begins to construct interspecies bonds regardless of the prejudices of her household—and the households of her new mates. And when catastrophe strikes, she should put apart what she’s been informed as a way to do what she is aware of is true.
With charming black-and-white illustrations from Caldecott Medalist Doug Salati (Hot Dog), Elaine Dimopoulos’ center grade novel reckons with the reasonable challenges of an untamed animal’s life whereas preserving the magic of wilderness. Butternut narrates the comfy woodland story with cheeky asides to the reader about how tales work: how she’s going to carry some data to construct pressure, and the way she hopes you’ll love her forged of characters. Ultimately, readers will likely be left with the impression that, if they are often courageous and put apart their stigmas, they can also have an journey worthy of an viewers the scale of a meadow.
Young readers who squirm when dangerous issues occur to animals might want to keep away from this one: The novel begins with a blue jay stealing and consuming a robin’s egg, and later, a automobile strikes a younger mom coyote and leaves her pups orphaned. Children who perceive the dangerous truths of dwelling wild, nonetheless, The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow will likely be left with a deep need to change into wildlife rehabilitators—and possibly persuade their mother and father to begin on that journey too.
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