After hibernating through the long winter, a young lemming comes out into the fresh spring air, and busies herself gathering moss to eat. She’s so hungry she doesn’t notice the young owl that’s swooped down next to her. The owl is hungry, too, and eager to make a meal of the lemming. He blocks the entrance to the lemming’s den. She, in turn, challenges the owl to a match to see who can jump the highest. The owl readily agrees, knowing his wings will help him get much higher off the ground than the lemming. When he propels himself upward, the lemming runs into her den, closing the door. Safe! This traditional Inuit tale is predictable until the very end. When the owl tells his mother how he was tricked out of his dinner, she offers a surprisingly funny moral: Never play with your food. Cartoon-style illustrations complement the story’s humor. (Ages 3–6)