The Squeeze-More-Inn

Alison Mews is co-ordinator of the Centre for Instructional Services at
The Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Maureen invites her best friend to spend the weekend with her and her
family at their island cottage. The full-page illustrations show them
engaged in such activities as collecting shells, building sandcastles,
having picnics, picking berries, and roasting weiners over a bonfire.
Children will respond to the cartoonlike watercolors, which are the
focus of the book; but those who like a strong story will be
disappointed. The text is a simple catalogue of things the characters do
at the cottage, with little change in tone or mood. This gentle book may
stimulate conversation from children who have had similar experiences,
but otherwise its appeal is limited. The cosy illustration of the drive
home shows the exhausted children (and dogs) sleeping in the car while
the parents sing; no one is wearing a seat belt. Not a first-choice
purchase.