Acorns Everywhere
PreSchool-K—A mischievous squirrel gathers acorns, sometimes stealing them from other forest creatures, and buries them in various spots. After a scary encounter with a bear, who only wants some berries growing nearby, the squirrel can't seem to recall where he put his supply. When the squirrel's tummy starts to grumble, berries plundered from some indignant rats provide a welcome snack. The rats get their due on the back endpapers when they pinch the squirrel's acorns from their hiding places. Like the rats, young children will enjoy getting one over on the cheeky squirrel. Oversize cut-paper and ink cartoons, interspersed with photographic images of acorns and berries, tell much of the story, making the one-word to one-sentence lines of text per spread almost unnecessary. While the book is not as original as Sherry'sI'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean(2007) andI'm the Best Artist in the Ocean(2008, both Dial), this bright orange squirrel will entertain children.—Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NYEND