Epossumondas Plays Possum, written by Coleen Salley and illustrated by Janet Stevens. Harcourt, Thomas Allen & Son, 2009. $21.95 ages 5 up

"One summer morning as butterflies flitted between the zinnias, Epossumondas and his mama were sipping sweet tea and chitchatting about this and that."

The main theme of their chat on this particular day is Mama's dire warning that her sweet sugar pie should know the swamp as a 'scary and dangerous' place. She doesn't want her baby getting lost in the swamp and so she warns him about the loup-garou who lives there...he loves to snatch up baby possums!

As Mama prepares lunch, Epossumondas is distracted by a beautiful butterfly. Without being aware of it, he follows the flashy flutterer into the swamp, never once thinking about his mama's warning. It is not long until he is lost, and soon he is hearing unusual sounds that terrify him and cause him to 'play possum' in order to protect himself. Each new swamp creature is repulsed by dead meat, until a vulture swoops out of the air looking for a meal. He, of course, doesn't want live meat! When Mama finds him and assures his safety Epossumondas is thankful, but not at all concerned about the 'varmints' he met while in the swamp. He reminds his mama that he has 'the sense that he was born with' and did just what good possums do. Isn't he clever???

Kids love her four Epossumondas books, and repeatedly ask for them to be shared. Their author, Coleen Salley, was a renowned storyteller who travelled the world sharing her stories. The stories told were stories she had heard while growing up, and she loved to carry on the oral tradition that had been so important in her life. Her first Epossumondas (noodlehead) story was written when she was 72 years old. It was an immediate hit with children everywhere. In 2008, Coleen Salley died from complications of a brain disorder. This book was published posthumously through her estate. Thankfully, she left us her legacy in the books that she wrote.

Although I never heard her speak, I share one sentiment with this revered and much missed champion of children and their literature..."I don't want children to read just to perfect their reading. I want them to love books for the joy of it." Amen!