The Lodge That Beaver Built

Winter is coming. The beaver family are busy working on building their lodge, using trees and branches from near the stream and mud from the streambed. They weave the branches together and seal everything with mud to make a tight, warm home. Other animals from the area visit: muskrats swim into the lodge, coyotes try to break in, a goose builds its nest on top of the lodge, and more. The lodge holds firm until a spring flood breaks it up and carries it away. The beaver family are resilient, and they will build another lodge farther upstream where they will raise more kits and have another home.

Randi Sonenshine has borrowed the rhythm and rhyme from This is the House that Jack Built to write this sweet book that will give youngsters a good idea of the flora and fauna to be found around rivers and streams, with the focus being on beavers and the areas in which they live. The rhyme and meter are nearly perfect, and the story is very engaging. The gorgeous illustrations by Anne Hunter are drawn in soft colors and filled with wonderful details to keep readers involved. This is a winner!