Pamela Hickman, a naturalist who has written many books for Kids Can Press, pairs up with relative newcomer Geraldo Valério, a Brazilian illustrator, for It’s Moving Day. The book tells the story of a burrow hidden under a big old tree that serves as shelter for a series of animal families.

The eight woodland creatures, described in clear but ordinary prose, probably make for too many repetitions. Even kindergarten kids, who may well find the repetition reassuring, are likely to find the process of claiming the burrow, preparing for babies, and then clearing out to find a new home tedious after five rounds.

The somewhat lengthy explanations are not enlivened by the lame refrain “It’s moving day!” or by the illustrations. Geraldo Valério favours a naïve, low-perspective style, reminiscent of the Lascaux cave drawings and the work of Lucy Cousins, only more detailed. Whereas the cave drawings and Cousins’ animals stand out dramatically against a plain backdrop, Valério’s cluttered compositions make it hard to focus on the main event in each double-page spread. The best page features the exodus of the milk snakes from the burrow. Their bold, red, serpentine wriggling across the yellow grass makes for the most striking moment in the book. Valério’s acrylic art has a lot of interesting texture, but the somewhat sickly palette (hospital blues and bruise-like yellows) is unlikely to appeal to young children.

It’s Moving Day is a worthy but boring book; diligent children may find it informative, but it’s questionable whether it will inspire further interest in North American wildlife.