When I was in 2nd grade, 1984-1985, our teacher read a chapter book to us that was about various woodland creatures that all lived near a pond. I vividly remember there was a muskrat in the book. There may have been some pencil illustrations.
Thanks, in advance, for your help!!
Thornton W. Burgess wrote a good many books of this kind including THE ADVENTURES OF JERRY MUSKRAT.
Yes, I was going to say Old Mother West Wind by Thornton Burgess. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38914159-old-mother-west-wind