Amazon Birdsong Books Birdsong Books Nancy Carol Willis Category:  Children Publisher: Birdsong Books ISBN-10:  0966276124 Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 32 Copyright: Sep 1 2002 A guide through a year in the life of a raccoon family as the mother teaches her cubs to climb trees, find food and survive predators. A round April moon rises over an old silver maple tree. "Err, err, err," cry Rusty, Rudy and Spice. The newborn cubs are only four inches long. They cannot see or hear. Mother raccoon gently nudges the cubs onto her belly where they nurse on warm milk. Follow the cubs as forage aloge stream banks, through cornfields, and into a garbage can. With winter coming, the raccoons must double their body weight. Will they survive until the warm spring raccoon moon? Excerpt It's the June summer solstice, the shortest night of the year. Mother raccoon calls for her cubs to follow. Raccoons are nocturnal, which means they hunt at night. If they are to one day survive on their own, the cubs must learn to forage for food. They follow mother raccoon down grassy paths lit by a yellow moon. Along the way, Rusty follows a blinking firefly. Rudy sniffs a musky-smelling groundhog burrow. Overhead, a great-horned owl calls, "Whoo, whoo." "Snort," warns mother raccoon. It's her way of telling the cubs, "Stay colse." She knows owls and foxes may attack cubs that stray.

School Library Journal
Willis follows her wonderful exploration of The Robins In Your Backyard (Birdsong 1998) with an equally charming narrative about frequent backyard marauders. Her story traces the life of a raccoon family from the cubs' birth under the April moon to their winter's sleep. Facts are seemlessly woven into the narrative ("Rudy and Spice rip the ears of corn from the stalks. Rusty tears away the husk and devours the plump, yellow kernals. He can eat five pounds of food a night.") Brilliant, realistic paintings make the mother and her three cubs come to life. Willis joins the ranks of wildlife artists and writers like Jim Arnosky (Raccoons and Ripe Corn [Morrow, 1991]) and others, who offer young readers a chance to experience the wonder of real animals closely observed.

Children's Bookwatch, The Midwest Book Review
Written and illustrated by Nancy Carol Willis, Raccoon Moon is a gentle and highly recommended children's picturebook about a mother raccoon who takes care of her cubs. The soft color, museum-quality illustrations add a heartwarming special touch to this tender tale. A postscript of fun facts about raccoons, including how the raccoon got its name and why baby raccoons can't be kept as pets, rounds out this excellent story which is particularly suitable for bedtime reading.

Delaware Today Magazine
Author, illustrator and Delaware native Nancy Carol Willis describes the antics and perils of a mother raccoon and her mischievous cubs in the new children's book "Raccoon Moon." Based on the experience of rescuing and following the rehabilitation of two orphaned cubs found on her property in the Augustine Wildlife Area, The book seamlessly weaves together stunning artwork and concise factual information, producing an educational and entertaining story for children of all ages. In addition to the story, the book contains a range map, a timeline, trivia and tips for handling orphaned cubs with temporary recipes approved by the Delaware Wildlife Rehabilitators Association.