It's a spring day in a swamp. A small brown animal is busy swimming back and forth across a pond. The animal is hard at work collecting plants to build its home. Finally, the hungry creature takes a break from its construction work to munch on cattail stems at the edge of the water. The animal is a muskrat, and the swamp's shallow ponds and streams are its home. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primary-grade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance not only to learn all about muskrats and the swamp habitat in which they live, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. Built-in activities, such as estimating the weight and size of a newborn muskrat and describing the physical characteristics of an adult muskrat, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures.