Appleblossom the Possum

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Description

Appleblossom is the youngest in her oppossum family, and the most timid. But she has a talent for playing dead, which serves her well when her training is finished and she must venture out on her own. She and her siblings have been warned to hide during the day, and to avoid cars, humans, and the dreaded "hairies" (aka dogs). Still, Appleblossom finds herself fascinated by a human family and their pet dog. While spying on them one day, she accidentally falls down the chimney, thus beginning her true adventure, including an encounter of the human kind: the little girl in the house wants to dress her up and keep her as her new pet. Luckily Appleblossom's faithful brothers have been watching, and they launch a successful rescue mission, which includes breaking into the house, outwitting the dog, and even enlisting their long-lost father.

Reviews

Praise for Appleblossom the Possum

"Readers will enjoy both the realistic details of a newborn possum making her way to her mother's pouch, and the fanciful view of adult possums' urban nightlife, complete with rooftop music and a conga line. . . . This attractive book will engage young readers intrigued by animals."Booklist

"Insights about possums add an educational element to this otherwise comic adventure, while humorous illustrations capture the wee possums' antics and personalities. A warm and funny possum-family saga."Kirkus Reviews

"A perfectly sweet animal tale, with just the right blend of humor, excitement, and uncertainty."School Library Journal

"Amid the homey message that family matters most, Sloan seeds the story with assorted possum facts and vocabulary lessons, but it's the possum-as-actor metaphor . . . that generates the most fun."Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Holly Goldberg Sloan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and spent her childhood living in Holland, Istanbul, Turkey, Washington DC, Berkeley, California and Eugene, Oregon. After graduating from Wellesley College and spending some time as an advertising copywriter, she began writing family feature films, including Angels in the Outfield and Made in America. Counting by 7s, her first middle-grade novel, was a New York Times Bestseller. The mother of two sons, Holly lives with her husband, who is the illustrator of this book, in Santa Monica, California.