Spring Cleaning (Cork and Fuzz) - Hardcover

Dori Chaconas was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1938. The second child in a family of seven, Dori fell into the role of storyteller, nursery rhyme singer, and general entertainer for her siblings. She claims she learned about story pacing early. If the story action lagged, her fidgety audience would either scatter or start a poking war.

She has been married to Nick, her high school sweetheart, for 44 years. Everyone says the romance will last. They raised four daughters, and are now enjoying three grandsons—especially Grandpa, having been outnumbered by women all those years.

When their daughters were young, Dori wrote for them. She published three picture books and more than fifty stories in children's magazines. In the 70's, her interest turned to yarn embroidery design and she sold designs to major needlework companies and national magazines.

In 1997, Dori started writing stories again, partly to keep her grandsons from fidgeting or starting poking wars. Her stories reflect the warmth of family life. Dori gives credit to her parents for giving her a strong sense of family, and to her children and grandchildren for keeping it alive.

Gr 1–2—Cork is a short muskrat with patience and willingness to try new things, while Fuzz, a tall possum, does not like to wait for anything and is often less than enthusiastic when adventures present themselves. They are like The Odd Couple of the animal world—one sloppy, one striving to keep everything in perfect order. In this four-chapter, easy-to-read story, they prove that best friends with many differences can have fun together. This series installment offers familiar characters with plenty of dialogue and a story line with more twists and turns to encourage readers' growth. The balance of text and art is just right, and the bright illustrations show these friends working out their differences. Suggested activities help children understand the feelings of the characters and explore their own characteristics. VERDICT A solid addition to a well-established series.—Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN