The first thing that greets the reader upon seeing "The Squirrel, the Worm and the Nut Trees" is the glossy green cover and the large cartoon like illustrations of nature scenes. Illustrations both on the cover and inside this children's book were created by Bobby Switzer are soft, smooth and friendly; I felt they are very easy on the eyes. The happy and sometimes frustrated critters will have readers giggling.
"The Squirrel, the Worm and the Nut Trees" is the story of a ruthless little worm that only smirks when squirrel approaches him with his concerns about sharing the nut harvest. So Squirrel and his family learn to adapt and harvest their share before the worms begin building their nests, thereby outwitting their nemesis and ensuring a full pantry all winter long. They did this without war, without hate... but simply by adapting and accepting the change they must go through. So the lesson in learning how to be calm, rational and communicate rather than reacting with aggression is fairly strong in this story. I also enjoyed the concept broached in this tale that one can give a situation thoughtful consideration and sometimes consult others in order to create an effective plan of action.
Adverse changes such as the prospect of starving over the winter months did not send the squirrel family over the edge - they kept calm and conserved what they had. They also learned to be proactive, to take fate into their own hands. Another interesting point I would like to raise about this story is that the squirrels left enough to sustain (& fool) the worms.
"The Squirrel, the Worm and the Nut Trees", in spite of being a fiction children's tale, can serve in the classroom setting with lessons on many levels from peace to dealing with conflict & biology lessons such as the interconnected life systems. The lovable characters and the insight into wildlife that this book provides could very well build an appreciation for nature in today's children.
"The Squirrel, the Worm and the Nut Trees" is the first of a series by this author Jimmie Powell. The suggested retail price of 15.95 (US) is a good price for a 44-page illustrated children's book of this genre. The book is approximately 8.5 X 8.5 inches in size and is pleasing to the eye with the soothing use of earth tones such as various shades of green, brown, burgundy, grey and blue.
Unfortunately, although I browsed the publisher's website I could not find any information on eco-printing or socially responsible publishing options that the publisher has chosen to employ during the production of this book; such as using vegetable inks, recycled content; carbon offset efforts or support of a charitable organization. However, I cannot find it within my heart to dock this book even a half a point. I truly loved this book and highly recommend it.
ISBN#: 978-1-4327-1326-3
Rating: 5-out-of-5 stars
~ Lillian Brummet: co-author of the books Trash Talk and Purple Snowflake Marketing, author of Towards Understanding; host of the Conscious Discussions radio show (http://www.brummet.ca)
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