Mole's Babies

In a natural follow-up to Mole's in Love (2009), this sequel finds bespectacled moles Morris and Mini expecting babies. While Mini contentedly knits as she sits on their molehill, Morris works on learning how to be a father by observing baby animals and their parents. Hopping along with a bunny family, he falls on his nose, and when he flaps like baby birds, he falls out of a tree. As the ever-vigilant Mini checks in on Morris ("Are you all right, Morris?") and reminds him that their babies are on their way, Morris's uncertainty over how to care for his offspring leads to despair. No surprise, he learns that love is all he needs to raise a family. Bedford offers a likably hapless and earnest character in Morris, and Beardshaw's cheerful scenes underscore the themes of birth and new beginnings. However, the dynamics between Morris and Mini feel better directed toward expectant parents than young readers awaiting a sibling, and the sudden, last-minute arrival of the babies doesn't give Morris much of a chance to show off what he's learned. Ages 3%E2%80%937. (Mar.)