Jerome Kildee had spent his solitary life as a tombstone carver who rarely spoke more than a few words to anyone. The money he saved for retirement helped him buy a plot of land on the northern California coast, and at the base of a giant Redwood, he built his small retirement home, where he expected to take things easy. The wild animals became his friends, and they liked his house too. Before long he had a family of raccoons living with him, and a family of skunks living under the floor. As those families grew, Joseph became rather desperate to find homes for them. His new friend, Emma Lou from down the hill tries to help him, though they are both troubled by rich neighbor boy Donald, who sees the animals only as hunting prey for his dog.

This charming story was a Newbery Honor Roll book in 1950. I’d never heard of it, but a story about a solitary man and nature sold me, and I enjoyed reading it. This reprint is from 1993. Recommended.