Nannycatch Chronicles

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

A cross between the Thornton W. Burgess animal stories and the tales of
Uncle Remus, Nannycatch Chronicles is a collection of short stories
featuring Possum, his curmudgeonly (if not downright disagreeable) Uncle
Possum, and assorted other inhabitants of the Great Forest.

The “Publisher’s Warning,” combined with the book-jacket
illustration, gives us a strong indication of what is to come. Sure
enough, in the opening chapter, “Possum’s Dreadful Birthday
Party,” Weasel is run over by a big truck and is “flatter than a
flatworm.” While adult readers may fail to see the humour in this,
8– and 9-year-olds will probably react much like Dormouse, who, when
told by Possum that “Weasel just got flattened,” remarks
matter-of-factly, “Bad stuff happens.”

Young readers will be amused at Wolverine asking Possum to “Supersize
me on the jam” and at the plays on words, such as Robin
“leaves-dropping.” Rat’s clever eulogy for Weasel will bring
smiles: “It is most regRATable that Weasel is no longer a member of
this fRATernity … Weasel saved me once from Pit Bull’s wRATh … I
will always be gRATeful to him.” The place names themselves—Grotty
Bottom, Swinebelly Beck, Pussytoe Hollow—are funny.

Though most of the stories and events in Nannycatch Chronicles are
somewhat tongue-in-cheek, more serious subjects are introduced. Chapter
3, “Flight From Danger,” talks about the destruction of the
environment. In Chapter 5, “Uncle Possum’s Heart Operation,”
Chipmunk remarks, “perhaps your uncle will become a vegetarian like
us. If everyone ate nuts and greens, there would be no need to harm
living creatures,” an argument frequently presented by those who
eschew meat.

A map showing the locations of the places mentioned is a nice addition,
as are the childlike drawings that illustrate the stories. Recommended.