When the lights go out during a summer electrical storm, a grandmother tells her granddaughter a story about a brave, resourceful girl’s rescue of her pet dog during a blizzard. The actual story in the book is illustrated with two kinds of ink drawings: one set showing the girl’s rescue efforts, another indicating how Grandma illustrates her story with a series of “cat’s cradle” string figures. The two forms of illustration make it possible for the book to reach two distinct audiences--younger listeners who will enjoy the adventure story, and older readers who will be interested in trying out the string figures. Directions for making the specific string figures are given in diagrams at the end of the book. Fleischman, a skilled string‑figure storyteller, provides great practical advice about making a string to work with--yes, there’s a trick to that, but it’s an easy one--and about Cat’s Cradle figures in general. He suggests several Cat’s Cradle books for young readers to find at the public library. Just keep a string in your pocket, and you’re all set, once you learn the figures to tell this story--and others, too. (Age 5 and older)