Robbie Raccoon loves his home in Old Father Oak, where he plays all summer long with his squirrel and blackbird friends. In the fall, Robbie wonders if Father Oak is sad to lose all of his leaves. Is the tree crying? Robbie's mother reassures him that the tree is just signaling the approach of winter—the "cold, dark, sleepy time, when all the leaves and flowers hide and sleep." As Robbie and his mom eat and eat and prepare for their winter nap, they plant five of Father Oak's acorns snugly in the ground. When they wake up in the spring, the five baby oaks have begun to grow. The mixed-media images are not always clear, especially in the geometric shapes that make up the small raccoon, but the fall colors are rich and warm. This offers a fun way to tell the hibernation story and to show the natural connections in the woods, through the seasons.
