Nuts to You

Starred review from July 7, 2014
Newberry Medalist Perkins (Criss Cross) writes a clever, off-kilter story of community support in this tall tale featuring three courageous squirrels. A crisis occurs when gray squirrel Jed is swept up by a hawk. Jed’s friends Chai and TsTs (it’s “the ‘Emma’ of squirrel names,” Perkins explains) rush to find where he’s (safely) landed, but they’re soon distracted by impending danger: humans trimming trees around “buzzpaths” (power lines) pose a threat to their habitat. Somehow, TsTs, Chai, and Jed (who eventually meets up with his pals after having a few adventures of his own) must persuade their friends and neighbors to relocate somewhere safer, 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,” admits one). Perkins’s twisting-turning narrative provides plenty of fun; along with their impulsiveness, her characters have warm hearts and generous spirits. Readers, especially animal lovers and the environmentally minded, will relish the squirrels’ adventures, as well as Perkins’s laugh-aloud illustrations (not all seen by PW) and equally witty footnotes. Ages 8–12.

July 15, 2014
The gray squirrel Jed's human acquaintance relates this entertaining story of friendship and adventure, beginning with Jed's narrow escape from a hawk and then continuing with a series of tail-raising escapades.An introductory author's note and endnote frame the story as a tale told by the squirrel to the writer. After the hawk snatches Jed, most of his squirrel community gathers for a memorial service. However, his friends TsTs and Chai, sure Jed is alive, bravely follow a trail of "buzzpaths" and "frozen spiderwebs"-utility lines and towers-to find him. The narrator frequently weaves tidbits of natural science, ecology and philosophy, as well as notes about human behavior, into each short, action-packed chapter. Humorous footnotes and direct addresses add to the fun, as in: "To squirrels, 'Are you nuts?' is a combination of 'Have you lost your mind?' and 'You remind me of the most wonderful thing I can think of.' " Adult readers will recognize traces of Watership Down, Beatrix Potter and even the work of cartoonist Gary Larson, but who knew until this book that red squirrels speak with cockney accents? (Or, more realistically, that squirrel homes are called "dreys"?) Strong characterizations carry readers through the episodic adventure. With its unswerving inclusion of predators, habitat destruction and territorial conflict, this novel could have grown dark; instead, it is funny and exuberant. (Fantasy. 7-11)

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Starred review from July 1, 2014

Gr 3-6-As explained in an Author's Note at the start, Perkins was told this tale by a talking squirrel whom she met while enjoying a peanut butter sandwich on a park bench. When a squirrel is captured by a hawk and flown off to an uncertain fate, two of his friends set off in pursuit. Partway through their rescue mission, they encounter humans who are trimming trees which have grown around the power lines (the squirrels call these "buzzpaths"). Now they must not only bring their friend home, but also warn all the squirrels in the vicinity to flee from the impending depredation of swaths of their forest. Part of the tension and humor stems from the ways in which the motivations of humans and squirrels are inexplicable to each other. Perkins elucidates delightfully, as when she tells readers that "'TsTs' is currently the most frequently given girl squirrel name, the 'Emma' of squirrel names." This is a small story made larger by the ways readers can enjoy Perkins's whimsical conception of squirrel civilization. Some deeper themes may prompt readers to question their interactions with the natural world. The author's light touch is maintained by her profuse spot and full-page illustrations throughout.-Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2014
Grades 3-5 *Starred Review* This efficient and effective metaparable by Newbery medalist Perkins has a central message that is explicitly stated when a squirrel announces to the narrator that I just wish . . . humans understood how important trees are. The story begins when a squirrel named Jed is carried away by a hawk and yet cleverly finds a way to elude certain fatality, at which point the reader is directly addressed: Do we feel sorry for the hawk, who has just lost his supper . . . and is taught a hard truth? Fortunately, a fellow squirrel witnesses Jed's escape from afar and leads a search team through the forest to find him and bring him home, a journey that involves danger, humor, adventure, environmentalism, and friends both old and new. The squirrel POV includes clever wordplay: power lines are buzzpaths, for example. Rustic spot and full-page line drawings (not all seen at time of review) and the many asides and footnotes further enhance the gentle, smoothly literary narrative. Perkins clearly respects both her text and her reader while deftly managing many moving parts within a relatively small space, even at one point acknowledging that there are indeed a lot of squirrels involved here. All together, this is a lovely and insightful creation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
Jed the squirrel escapes a hawk (using an "ancient squirrel defensive martial art") and so begins his journey home. Meanwhile, his best friends Chai and TsTs set off to find him. The three make it safely home only to face their biggest challenge: convincing their conservative community to relocate before humans destroy their homes. Part satire, part environmental fable, and all playful, energetic hilarity.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from November 1, 2014
Jed the squirrel's odyssey begins dramatically when he is captured by a hawk and carried far away from his community. Using an "ancient squirrel defensive martial art," he escapes and so begins his journey home. Meanwhile, his two best friends Chai and TsTs set off to find him. In the course of these two (eventually converging) adventures, our heroes meet some helpful hillbillyish red squirrels, a threatening owl, a hungry bobcat, and a group of humans who are cutting brush and trees for power-line clearance, thus threatening the squirrels' habitat. The three make it safely home only to face their biggest challenge: convincing their conservative community to relocate before the humans destroy their homes. Part satire, part environmental fable, and all playful, energetic hilarity, this story takes us deep into squirrel culture: their names ("'Brk' is pronounced just as it's spelled, except the r is rolled. It means 'moustache' in Croatian but in squirrel, it's just a name"); their games (Splatwhistle); and their wisdom ("Live for the momentbut bury a lot of nuts"). Perkins uses language like the best toy ever. The storm "howled and pelted, whirled and whined; it spit and sprayed and showered. Its winds were fierce. Its wetness was inescapable." The book begs to be read aloud, except that you'd miss the wacky digressions, the goofy footnotes, and the black-and-white illustrations with their built-in micro-plots. Another completely original and exceptional package from Perkins. sarah ellis

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2014
Jed the squirrel's odyssey begins dramatically when he is captured by a hawk and carried far away from his community. Using an "ancient squirrel defensive martial art," he escapes and so begins his journey home. Meanwhile, his two best friends Chai and TsTs set off to find him. In the course of these two (eventually converging) adventures, our heroes meet some helpful hillbillyish red squirrels, a threatening owl, a hungry bobcat, and a group of humans who are cutting brush and trees for power-line clearance, thus threatening the squirrels' habitat. The three make it safely home only to face their biggest challenge: convincing their conservative community to relocate before the humans destroy their homes. Part satire, part environmental fable, and all playful, energetic hilarity, this story takes us deep into squirrel culture: their names ("'Brk' is pronounced just as it's spelled, except the r is rolled. It means 'moustache' in Croatian but in squirrel, it's just a name"); their games (Splatwhistle); and their wisdom ("Live for the momentbut bury a lot of nuts"). Perkins uses language like the best toy ever. The storm "howled and pelted, whirled and whined; it spit and sprayed and showered. Its winds were fierce. Its wetness was inescapable." The book begs to be read aloud, except that you'd miss the wacky digressions, the goofy footnotes, and the black-and-white illustrations with their built-in micro-plots. Another completely original and exceptional package from Perkins. sarah ellis

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from June 1, 2015
Gr 3-7-This pleasing gambol into the surprisingly charming realm of squirrel life follows plucky Jed, TsTs, and Chai as they journey to and from the realm of reddish, smallish squirrels. Their peaceful existence is disrupted first by a hawk, then a tenacious wolf, and finally by humans and their noisy machines. Perkins's lyrical use of language and subtle explanations of concepts, idioms, and everyday words is as enjoyable as her story of friendship, perseverance, acceptance, and the value of community. Perkins's footnotes are equally charming ("Enemy is such a strong word. It might be more sporting to say 'adversary' or 'the other team.' Sometimes the thing to do is to invite your adversary for cake and lemonade and see if they can become your friend. It can save a whole lot of grief later on."). Jessica Almasy's narration is perfect. Her voice varies between characters-human and woodland-with a timbre that is just squirrely enough to be believable but not nearly so squeaky to be tiresome. VERDICT This beautifully written work has value as an enjoyable adventure story and as a model of exemplary composition.-"Jane Newschwander, Fluvanna County Public Schools, VA"

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.