What do you think?
Rate this book
Appleblossom the Possum
Fans of E.B. White and Dick King-Smith will adore this heartwarming and funny animal adventure by the award-winning author of Counting by 7s
Mama has trained up her baby possums in the ways of their breed, and now it’s time for all of them—even little Appleblossom—to make their way in the world. Appleblossom knows the rules: she must never be seen during the day, and she must avoid cars, humans, and the dreaded hairies (sometimes known as dogs). Even so, Appleblossom decides to spy on a human family—and accidentally falls down their chimney! The curious Appleblossom, her faithful brothers—who launch a hilarious rescue mission—and even the little girl in the house have no idea how fascinating the big world can be. But they're about to find out!
With dynamic illustrations, a tight-knit family, and a glimpse at the world from a charming little marsupial's point of view, this cozy animal story is a perfect read-aloud and a classic in the making.
Mama has trained up her baby possums in the ways of their breed, and now it’s time for all of them—even little Appleblossom—to make their way in the world. Appleblossom knows the rules: she must never be seen during the day, and she must avoid cars, humans, and the dreaded hairies (sometimes known as dogs). Even so, Appleblossom decides to spy on a human family—and accidentally falls down their chimney! The curious Appleblossom, her faithful brothers—who launch a hilarious rescue mission—and even the little girl in the house have no idea how fascinating the big world can be. But they're about to find out!
With dynamic illustrations, a tight-knit family, and a glimpse at the world from a charming little marsupial's point of view, this cozy animal story is a perfect read-aloud and a classic in the making.
274 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2015
55 people are currently reading
1162 people want to read
About the author
Holly Goldberg Sloan
14 books1,422 followersHolly Goldberg Sloan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spent her childhood living in California, the Netherlands, Istanbul, Washington, DC, and Oregon (where she graduated from high school). She wrote the screenplay for Angels in the Outfield and directed The Big Green, as well as a number of other successful family feature films.
The mother of two sons, Holly lives with her husband (the writer/illustrator Gary Rosen) in Santa Monica, California. I'll Be There was her debut novel. Her next book, Counting By 7s, was Amazon's best novel of the year for middle grade. Her book Just Call My Name is a follow up to I'll Be There and takes place several months after the ending of the first novel.
Appleblossom the Possum was written by Sloan and Illustrated by Rosen and comes out of Sloan's love for Charlotte's Web. Her next novel will be published in January of 2017 from Dial/Penguin Random House.
The mother of two sons, Holly lives with her husband (the writer/illustrator Gary Rosen) in Santa Monica, California. I'll Be There was her debut novel. Her next book, Counting By 7s, was Amazon's best novel of the year for middle grade. Her book Just Call My Name is a follow up to I'll Be There and takes place several months after the ending of the first novel.
Appleblossom the Possum was written by Sloan and Illustrated by Rosen and comes out of Sloan's love for Charlotte's Web. Her next novel will be published in January of 2017 from Dial/Penguin Random House.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
Read
May 11, 2020Encore! Encore!
A story of situational stages, siblings, and survival. A tale of performances, pals, and possums.
All of the night time world's a possums stage, but even they must follow the rules: don't be seen during the daytime, avoid humans, cars, and harries (dogs) at all cost. But when young Appleblossom accidentally falls down a chimney, she's not the only one in for a huge surprise.
Scary as it might be, this might just be her time to shine!
Curious, clever, Appleblossom was searching for the role she was born to play. Facing down her fears in the "monster's" lair or across the street, the plucky possum proved herself a perfect performer. The magnificent marsupial totally stole the show and my heart.
Human or possum, the supporting cast was totally awesome. Sweetly supportive, Appleblossom's family were adorable as they dramatically taught and learned about solidarity, life, and how to put on a good show. Aptly named Columbo had me cackling as he bumbled around the possums/monsters stomping grounds. My heart melted as Appleblossom and a lonely "monster" found more than common ground.
I never thought I'd say this, but possums are precious. Feel good and factual, Appleblossom's journey swept my heart away. Gorgeous illustrations brought the little creature's adventures of discovery, family, friendship, and growing up to life. Peppered with Shakespeare quotes and humor for all ages, Holly Goldberg Sloan's endearing tale would make a great read aloud book.
Appleblossom the Possum deserves endless applause.
A story of situational stages, siblings, and survival. A tale of performances, pals, and possums.
All of the night time world's a possums stage, but even they must follow the rules: don't be seen during the daytime, avoid humans, cars, and harries (dogs) at all cost. But when young Appleblossom accidentally falls down a chimney, she's not the only one in for a huge surprise.
Scary as it might be, this might just be her time to shine!
Curious, clever, Appleblossom was searching for the role she was born to play. Facing down her fears in the "monster's" lair or across the street, the plucky possum proved herself a perfect performer. The magnificent marsupial totally stole the show and my heart.
Human or possum, the supporting cast was totally awesome. Sweetly supportive, Appleblossom's family were adorable as they dramatically taught and learned about solidarity, life, and how to put on a good show. Aptly named Columbo had me cackling as he bumbled around the possums/monsters stomping grounds. My heart melted as Appleblossom and a lonely "monster" found more than common ground.
I never thought I'd say this, but possums are precious. Feel good and factual, Appleblossom's journey swept my heart away. Gorgeous illustrations brought the little creature's adventures of discovery, family, friendship, and growing up to life. Peppered with Shakespeare quotes and humor for all ages, Holly Goldberg Sloan's endearing tale would make a great read aloud book.
Appleblossom the Possum deserves endless applause.
July 13, 2015
This book is supposed to be for grades 3-7, ages 8-12, but I don't know if they could appreciate the cuteness and the adult "humor" in it. There are a few bits that I get as I am old enough to remember the Obsession commercials. Not sure someone ages 8-12 would know what was being referred regarding the red ball.
But holy cow, this book was SO ADORABLE, I thought my heart would burst from the utter cuteness of it. If I was computer savvy enough, I would add about a million kitten gifs and it wouldn't be enough to equal the heart squeezing cuteness that was this book. The pictures really make it. Unfortunately, I read the ARC, so didn't get all of the pictures, so the full effect was lost. I did get enough pictures to exclaim out loud half a dozen times, "AAAAWWWWW!!!!!"
And the Obsession bit had me rolling on the ground. This book is just too cute. A quick read, one sitting and done, but I'm sure if I re-read it I would catch things that I missed on the first reading.
I LOVED "Counting By 7s" by this author and honestly thought she wouldn't be able to get another five stars out of me. I was completely wrong and beg for her to forgive me. I'm amazed at her ability to write THIS well in completely different genres. Well, both are kids books, but one was contemporary and serious, this one fantasy and light, with animals as the main characters. If I didn't know it was the same author, I wouldn't have made the connection on my own. Completely different voice and both are completely awesome on their own.
I recommend this for everyone. The children this is aimed at will get a kick out of the walking, talking, acting possums and adults would get a good bit of the humor that might go over the heads of the kids. And if you like cute, this is cute to the 10th power. Get this book and read it. It's worth it!
But holy cow, this book was SO ADORABLE, I thought my heart would burst from the utter cuteness of it. If I was computer savvy enough, I would add about a million kitten gifs and it wouldn't be enough to equal the heart squeezing cuteness that was this book. The pictures really make it. Unfortunately, I read the ARC, so didn't get all of the pictures, so the full effect was lost. I did get enough pictures to exclaim out loud half a dozen times, "AAAAWWWWW!!!!!"
And the Obsession bit had me rolling on the ground. This book is just too cute. A quick read, one sitting and done, but I'm sure if I re-read it I would catch things that I missed on the first reading.
I LOVED "Counting By 7s" by this author and honestly thought she wouldn't be able to get another five stars out of me. I was completely wrong and beg for her to forgive me. I'm amazed at her ability to write THIS well in completely different genres. Well, both are kids books, but one was contemporary and serious, this one fantasy and light, with animals as the main characters. If I didn't know it was the same author, I wouldn't have made the connection on my own. Completely different voice and both are completely awesome on their own.
I recommend this for everyone. The children this is aimed at will get a kick out of the walking, talking, acting possums and adults would get a good bit of the humor that might go over the heads of the kids. And if you like cute, this is cute to the 10th power. Get this book and read it. It's worth it!
November 18, 2015
Wow. Another terrific book by Holly Goldberg Sloan. I shouldn't be surprised though since she did such an amazing job with Counting by 7s. I loved everything about this little gem of a book, and who knew I could find possums so freakin' adorable? Not me, that's for sure. But just like Izzy who squealed with delight when she found Appleblossum lost in her house, I too wanted to do just what she did, to pick her up and cuddle her. Yeah, I know. I just said I wanted to cuddle a possum. Weird huh? So this book must be really good if I just said that, because trust me, I have never in my life wanted to cuddle a possum, or even get within 50 feet of one. But seriously, I can't help it if Appleblossum the Possum is just so gosh darn cute. Thanks definitely go to the author's husband Gary Rosen who did the illustrations. He definitely made Appleblossum and her family the most endearing animals since Charlotte's Web. This one is not to be missed, and what a wonderful read aloud this will be.
August 30, 2018
If you're looking for a good read aloud book for ages 8-11 this is one to try. My Grandson groaned at the cutesy cover of this story about a family of possums but it's sense of fun and humor soon had us very interested and similar to stories like the recent movie Peter Rabbit, which appear to be only for small children it has a lot of content older kids and adults can really enjoy. I'm grateful to my 5 grandkids who keep giving me reasons to discover fun new books like this one. 5 stars
February 25, 2015
An adorable book for children, but I really liked it, so I say any age would enjoy it.
February 10, 2022
Featured in grandma reads chapterbook sessions.
I must admit this chapterbook went places I never would have dreamed:
Possums are drama queens (as in they live Thea-tuh lives! teaching their young Shakespeare - a famous possum bard of ancient days)
Possums dance in conga-lines and have bawdy nightlives (dancing!)
Possums name their children by batch, alphabetically - Appleblossom was in an "A" batch
Possum parents are mostly not. . .
We went all around the neighborhood in this book, including Appleblossom thinking she might be trapped forever in a human girl's house just because the girl had a yearning for a pet (when she already had one that was caged up). . . .it all comes round right, but goes on a little longer than we needed, but we finished it, right to the very end.
We admitted we had never thought so much about possums before we read this book. So now, we do.
I must admit this chapterbook went places I never would have dreamed:
Possums are drama queens (as in they live Thea-tuh lives! teaching their young Shakespeare - a famous possum bard of ancient days)
Possums dance in conga-lines and have bawdy nightlives (dancing!)
Possums name their children by batch, alphabetically - Appleblossom was in an "A" batch
Possum parents are mostly not. . .
We went all around the neighborhood in this book, including Appleblossom thinking she might be trapped forever in a human girl's house just because the girl had a yearning for a pet (when she already had one that was caged up). . . .it all comes round right, but goes on a little longer than we needed, but we finished it, right to the very end.
We admitted we had never thought so much about possums before we read this book. So now, we do.
September 20, 2025
3.5 stars. The writing is somewhat reminiscent of EB White. It's a cute story about a possum family learning some life lessons. There are many references to theater and Shakespeare, so I'd recommend it if you have an interest in that.
Also, because of the focus on sibling relationships, it would be cute for a family of multiples or maybe with a sibling on the way.
My 8 year old rating - 5 stars
My 10 year old rating - 3 stars
We had a few laughs and enjoyed it overall.
Also, because of the focus on sibling relationships, it would be cute for a family of multiples or maybe with a sibling on the way.
My 8 year old rating - 5 stars
My 10 year old rating - 3 stars
We had a few laughs and enjoyed it overall.
July 12, 2019
Cute, fun, and factual. Perfect for educating kids while also illustrating a comforting narrative about family, new experiences, and growing up.
July 6, 2021
When you’re such a small possum you can still have a big adventure with your family!
January 18, 2024
3.5 stars. Read aloud to Benny and Cole and they loved it. I still find myself struggling with anthropomorphic books, but this one was better than some others I've read. A litter of possums are given acting lessons by their mama (after all, possums are the natural-born actors of the animal world) before they are sent out to live on their own. There are strong sibling relationships in the book. When Appleblossom finds herself in big trouble, her big brothers Amlet and Antonio go to great lengths to rescue her. The ending seemed cut short (like the author was running out of pages), but overall it was a good read aloud book.
June 23, 2021
<3
Favorites >
Favorites >
April 11, 2025
My eight year-old and I enjoyed this tale of adventure and belonging. A solid book for young elementary.
April 13, 2016
This started out with such promise...but before long drove me nuts. It could have been 50 percent shorter...but by the time I was ready to return it to the library, the kids were invested, so we plowed on. I will confess that reading it aloud let me skip long passages and try to get to the point more quickly. Adorable premise but not for me!
December 30, 2016
If you love drama (Shakespeare, acting, plays) and you love animals, this is the story for you! I love that the author combined possums real life skill of playing dead and used that to develop this darling story of possums and their acting lives. It's a sweet story with some intense moments and lots of humorous moments. And I just adore Appleblossom the possum!
October 28, 2015
I was excited to read this because it is Holly Goldberg Sloan. I was hesitant to read it because it is a book about Possums. Got to hand it to Ms. Goldberg Sloan, she can write about possums! I was sad when the story ended. I love Appleblossom and her possum family!
January 27, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this aloud with two of my best girls. Beautiful story about what family means and about being brave and believing in yourself, even when things get scary. Such lovely little possums! Highly recommend.
August 4, 2022
My favorite read aloud book in a LONG time. So fun! There’s a silly, dramatic vibe that makes it super fun to read (or perform) for your kids. Also educates about my favorite misunderstood marsupials, and the kicker is the Shakespeare quotes. I just totally loved this book and so did my kids.
March 27, 2015
It was really good! The baby possums are sooo cute!:)
March 27, 2024
I like this book. The illustrations are really cute. The story is simple and the theme is sweet in many ways.
I know Appleblossom is a babyish little possum, but while speaking from her point of view, I'm not sure why the author chose to call one person a "people" instead of "person." That was the only thing that bothered me a bit. An example is this quote from page 242 of the edition I read:
"The littlest people looks happy (but tired) as she carries Appleblossom into the area with the water and the empty white pond."
Oh well, I still like the story.
Also, I always thought possums looked scary and creepy. This one softened my opinion of them. I learned some things about their anatomy, what they eat, and that they can produce a bad smell to scare things away, kind of like skunks.
I know Appleblossom is a babyish little possum, but while speaking from her point of view, I'm not sure why the author chose to call one person a "people" instead of "person." That was the only thing that bothered me a bit. An example is this quote from page 242 of the edition I read:
"The littlest people looks happy (but tired) as she carries Appleblossom into the area with the water and the empty white pond."
Oh well, I still like the story.
Also, I always thought possums looked scary and creepy. This one softened my opinion of them. I learned some things about their anatomy, what they eat, and that they can produce a bad smell to scare things away, kind of like skunks.
January 16, 2018
A sweet variation on animal themed chapter books. Possums aren't usually featured in children's animal stories so that makes this book refreshing. I like the character of Appleblossom. The story started out a bit slow but then took off when Appleblossum finds herself inside a human's home. The addition of her bedraggled father spiced up the story as well. Give this to fans of Charlotte's Web and other animal tales.
April 15, 2023
Pre-read for sensitive daughter. Some things to note: family of possums - since they are solitary creatures some leave. 3 siblings have a tight bond though and want to stay together. Mom possum leaves but they are reunited in the end. Appleblossom gets trapped inside a house and becomes friends with little girl Izzy. In the end Appleblossom's family helps her leave the house. Izzy is sad about the possum leaving but it results in her bonding with the pet dog which previously hadn't had a relationship with so she ends up having friend. Appleblossom is reunited with her mom and 2 brothers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2019
Listened to the audio book, narrated by Dustin Hoffman, with my 10 year old son and we both loved it! Charming, funny, and completely adorable. I asked my son what he would rate it and he said 5 stars!
March 9, 2020
An absolutely delightful read! Beautiful illustrations!
March 31, 2021
Perfect read aloud for younger elementary students/emerging readers. Quirky, clever, and engaging for parents to read, too!
April 5, 2021
Read this as a school-wide event and I was not a fan. Didn’t love the plot or some of the suggestive content. Do not recommend.
July 6, 2021
Family. Love. Adventure
June 27, 2022
Jubi says "the first half was boring but the 2nd half was really good!"
March 13, 2019
best book ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 25, 2015
Mama Possum has trained her baby possums in their possum ways the best she can. She’s taught them the art of acting (especially acting dead!), how to find food, and most importantly, how to stay away from the three monsters: cars, people, and hairies (dogs). But when it’s time for the babies to go their own way, little Appleblossom and two of her brothers, Antonio and Amlet, just aren’t ready to walk away from each other. And when Appleblossom gets a little too curious, she falls down a chimney and gets trapped inside a people monster home. Antonio, Amlet, and a surprising newcomer, set out to rescue Appleblossom...meanwhile, Appleblossom learns that maybe not all people monsters are so bad.
Holly Goldberg Sloan’s Appleblossom the Possum is a sweet, charming, and unforgettable middle-grade read! With sparkling storytelling, endearing characters, and an exciting and amusing storyline, Appleblossom the Possum is a delight from beginning to end. After jumping into Appleblossom’s world, readers will never look at possums the same way again! With vivid imagery that engages all the senses, authentic possum behavior, and age appropriate humor and thrills, Sloan crafts a captivating and fun setting. Young readers will be fascinated by this world of possums and inspired to learn more.
Sloan does a wonderful job of anthropomorphizing her animal characters and given them such big, engaging personalities! With her curiosity, unexpected bravery, and clever thinking, Appleblossom is a darling and daring heroine. I love Appleblossom’s relationship with her brothers, intelligent Antonio and amusing Amlet. And Appleblossom and Izzy’s (her new people monster friend) surprising, tender friendship will just melt your heart.
From the protective hedges to high up a tree, into the big city, across dangerous roads, in the fascinating people monsters’ home, and everywhere in between, Sloan takes Appleblossom and readers on a dazzling adventure.
my final thoughts: Appleblossom the Possum is a simply adorable little book, full of memorable characters, big adventure, and a lot of heart. Readers of all ages will fall in love with Appleblossom!
Holly Goldberg Sloan’s Appleblossom the Possum is a sweet, charming, and unforgettable middle-grade read! With sparkling storytelling, endearing characters, and an exciting and amusing storyline, Appleblossom the Possum is a delight from beginning to end. After jumping into Appleblossom’s world, readers will never look at possums the same way again! With vivid imagery that engages all the senses, authentic possum behavior, and age appropriate humor and thrills, Sloan crafts a captivating and fun setting. Young readers will be fascinated by this world of possums and inspired to learn more.
Sloan does a wonderful job of anthropomorphizing her animal characters and given them such big, engaging personalities! With her curiosity, unexpected bravery, and clever thinking, Appleblossom is a darling and daring heroine. I love Appleblossom’s relationship with her brothers, intelligent Antonio and amusing Amlet. And Appleblossom and Izzy’s (her new people monster friend) surprising, tender friendship will just melt your heart.
From the protective hedges to high up a tree, into the big city, across dangerous roads, in the fascinating people monsters’ home, and everywhere in between, Sloan takes Appleblossom and readers on a dazzling adventure.
my final thoughts: Appleblossom the Possum is a simply adorable little book, full of memorable characters, big adventure, and a lot of heart. Readers of all ages will fall in love with Appleblossom!
December 5, 2019
”’You see, my beautiful babies, we are the true performers of the animal kingdom. We are the stars!’”
I apologize if you heard something earlier in the day. That was me having a cuteness attack because this book was all kinds of adorable.
Appleblossom is a possum, and it’s her time to shine. Her mother has taught her and her twelve siblings all about the art of performing, since possums are the actors of the animal kingdom. They know all about playing dead, following their instincts, forging for the best food, and avoiding the three most common types of monsters in their world- cars, dogs, and humans. It soon comes time for Mama Possum to leave and for her babies to make their way out in the big world to find adventures and put their skills to the test. What Mama Possum failed to tell them, though, is that life is the biggest adventure of all.
This was just precious beyond words. It cleared my pores, made my crops thrive, and left me with a very big grin on my face. Appleblossom is the sort of plucky heroine I like to read about, even if she does happen to be a possum. I loved reading about her finding her way in the world and thinking on her feet. I also loved the fierce bond she had with her two brothers and how they weren’t willing to give it up despite the fact that possums are usually solitary.
Probably my favorite scenes apart from the ones Appleblossom was in were the scenes with Mama Possum. For some reason, she reminded me of Ms. Frizzle. I don’t know if it was in the occasionally dramatic way her dialogue was written or her Frizzle-esque philosophy of taking life by the horns and running with it, but it reminded me so much of everyone’s favorite fictional teacher.
Appleblossom’s adventures with the human “monsters” were hilarious to read about, even though we don’t get to see much. The author did a really good job mixing the exciting with the sentimental.
The perfect, feel-good story if you want a pick me up, or for the big and little ones in your life that love animals, adventure, and plucky main characters.
I apologize if you heard something earlier in the day. That was me having a cuteness attack because this book was all kinds of adorable.
Appleblossom is a possum, and it’s her time to shine. Her mother has taught her and her twelve siblings all about the art of performing, since possums are the actors of the animal kingdom. They know all about playing dead, following their instincts, forging for the best food, and avoiding the three most common types of monsters in their world- cars, dogs, and humans. It soon comes time for Mama Possum to leave and for her babies to make their way out in the big world to find adventures and put their skills to the test. What Mama Possum failed to tell them, though, is that life is the biggest adventure of all.
This was just precious beyond words. It cleared my pores, made my crops thrive, and left me with a very big grin on my face. Appleblossom is the sort of plucky heroine I like to read about, even if she does happen to be a possum. I loved reading about her finding her way in the world and thinking on her feet. I also loved the fierce bond she had with her two brothers and how they weren’t willing to give it up despite the fact that possums are usually solitary.
Probably my favorite scenes apart from the ones Appleblossom was in were the scenes with Mama Possum. For some reason, she reminded me of Ms. Frizzle. I don’t know if it was in the occasionally dramatic way her dialogue was written or her Frizzle-esque philosophy of taking life by the horns and running with it, but it reminded me so much of everyone’s favorite fictional teacher.
Appleblossom’s adventures with the human “monsters” were hilarious to read about, even though we don’t get to see much. The author did a really good job mixing the exciting with the sentimental.
The perfect, feel-good story if you want a pick me up, or for the big and little ones in your life that love animals, adventure, and plucky main characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews