FICTION

Squirrel in the House

by Vivian VANDE VELDE
illus. by Steve Björkman. 80p. Holiday House. Aug. 2016. Tr $15.95. ISBN 9780823436330; ebk. $15.95. ISBN 9780823437443.
COPY ISBN
Gr 2–4—Living next door to each other, Squirrel and Cuddles, a squirrel and a dog, are constantly fighting and causing mischief. One winter's night, Squirrel gets cold and enters Cuddles's family's house. As a result, he and Cuddles leave the holiday decorations in shambles. Cuddles is banished to the basement, and a young human who gets blamed runs away. With a blizzard fast approaching, the young human injures himself, and it's up to Squirrel and Cuddles to save the day. Vande Velde does a great job of realistically bringing to life the personalities of these two squabbling animals. The characters are simple but appealing, and the plot is humorous and engaging. Chapters are short and easily segue into the next. Illustrations are detailed and lovely.
VERDICT This is a story young readers will love.
Reviewed by Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City
School-yard squirrel Twitch (8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos) narrates his adventure journeying into the house next to the school via the special brick "squirrel door" (chimney). When the resident dog discovers Twitch, hilarious chaos ensues until a child's accident forces the animals to cooperate. Vande Velde cleverly maintains the squirrel's perspective. Silly line drawings illustrate every page.
 , Aug 01, 2016

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