Written by a 'possum who hangs by her tail from tree limbs and peers into windows, and encompassing the wisdom of a frog with connections to the knowledge of the universe, readers learn about serious problems that young people experience. They chuckle at the antics of Cousin Slick, Pokeberry's gossipy cousin, while pondering the very difficult problems of family violence, teen pregnancy and abortion. Kids enjoy the animal characters while learning about values from parents and grandparents.