The muskrats come out and play when we are ending the day. They swim through the cattails and groom themselves. They feed and play throughout the night. After they are on the done they repeat the process till dawn. ( )

Jim Arnosky is one of my favorite author/illustrators of nature themed picture books. This one follows a pair of muskrats through one late afternoon and evening in the pond. The text is simple and restful, and the drawings are beautifully rendered in soft colors. It's fun to spot the other animals as we turn the pages, especially on the last page where a raccoon, fox and deer are just visible in the dusk.