A Spring Story

While exploring near the marsh one late winter day, friends Homer and Henry meet Mr. Birch, an old man who tantalizes their imaginations with stories of ``running tiddlies''--riding icebergs. After dreaming of icebergs, Homer and Henry hop aboard one and row past woodland creatures on the nearby banks. The idyllic mood changes when a snowstorm springs up; the boys lose control of their iceberg and are perilously close to being swept out to sea. But Mr. Birch comes to the rescue in his rowboat, and he and his wife spin tales for the explorers, now safe on dry land. The changing seasons--winter's departure and the advent of spring--provide a deceptively gentle background for this stirringly told adventure. Parker's lustrous paintings, rich with the colors of the skies, the marshes and the ocean, lovingly evoke the beauties--and potential dangers--of nature. Ages 7-up. (Nov.)