ISBN: 9780060092771
In this charming, lively and entertaining Rodent Adventure Novel, Jed has an incredible journey when, after being snatched up by a hawk, he escapes but finds himself in a different “world” – between leaves of different shape and smell, and in the midst of a different species of squirrel – one that looks and speaks funny…
Luckily for Jed, his friends see when he escapes the hawk’s claws and where he lands, so they set off to go find him and bring him home. But on their journey to find Jed, TsTs and Chai discover that humans are cutting branches from trees around the “buzz-paths” (power lines) and the squirrels must hurry back to warn their community of the approaching threat to their homes. But the real challenge lies in persuading the other squirrels to relocate somewhere safer, which is not an easy task, given the nature of squirrels (“Getting squirrels to listen to reason is like getting a tree to drop its nuts at your front door”).
Usually children’s stories that feature animals as main characters tend to be highly anthropomorphic (suggesting human characteristics for animals or inanimate things), but Nuts to You is written from the viewpoint of a squirrel, the squirrels are not given human characteristics. Lynne Rae Perkins did a lot of research to reveal what might be the daily life of a squirrel (mysteries of squirrel culture are revealed), and she included some funny and delightful footnotes to explain squirrel-ness, to make their life more understandable to the reader. Even the names of the characters are based on the sounds squirrels make.
With its unswerving inclusion of predators, habitat destruction and territorial conflict, titbits of natural science, ecology and philosophy, as well as notes about human behaviour, are weaved into each short, action-packed chapter.
The story is filled with humour and surprising bits of wisdom, including a poignant plea for environmental awareness and a specific wish that humans could understand “how important trees are.”
Even the title of the book is very fitting, and explained throughout the story. It is an especially great story for animal lovers and the environmentally minded.
Nuts to You is wholly original, funny, lively, and thought-provoking, well-illustrated with the author’s black-and-white drawings, and at the back of the book are included a Tutorial on how to draw squirrels, as well as a discussion guide about the story.
A brilliant book for read-aloud time with your kids that will guarantee a few laughs!
Join the fun! Here’s a link to some “squirrelific activities” OR learn how to plant a tiny forest near you:
