Candlewick Press
Copyright © 2007 Lisa Moser
Illustrations Copyright © 2007 Valeri Gorbachev
The story
Squirrel is busy, busy, busy. He has to help his tree grow. He has to help the river flow. He has to help all of his forest friends. Squirrel helps Mouse get ten ears of corn and a dozen apples—even though she only asked for one. Squirrel helps Turtle play a new game—even though Turtle just wants to sleep. Squirrel soaks Rabbit trying to get a lily pad from the pond—even though Rabbit dislikes being wet. Just when it seems that all of Squirrel’s help always ends in disaster, he saves the day. He gives Rabbit a firefly so he won’t be afraid of the dark. Squirrel goes home knowing that he helped a friend. His friends go to sleep knowing that Squirrel will be just as squirrelly tomorrow, but loving him just the same.
How it was written. . .
One of my favorite places to write is our sunroom. When I’m thinking about a story, I can look out the window and daydream. I love our backyard because it has woods, a field, a pond, and lots of wildlife.
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One day I looked out the window and saw two very interesting characters—a squirrel jumping from tree branch to tree branch and a rabbit sitting quietly under a pine tree. I watched some more.
The squirrel ran up a tree and down a tree, up a tree and down a tree.
The rabbit never moved.
The squirrel ran down to the pond, around a rock and back.
The rabbit never moved.
The squirrel ran around and around and around the rabbit.
The rabbit never moved.
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Watching these two guys in the backyard, I began to smile. Here were two very different, very funny, very loveable characters. I had the start to my book!
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Writing Squirrel’s World was an absolute joy. I could write stories about Squirrel and his friends all day long. They made me laugh when I wrote it, and I truly hope they make you laugh when you read it. Then Squirrel will have done a very good day’s work, indeed!
Reviews
Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List 2010-2011
Selected by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) for their Choices 2008 in the Books for Beginning Readers category.
• "Repetitive text and well-designed pages support the efforts of young readers who will likely enjoy Squirrel’s humorous misadventures and his unique way of talking."
-School Library Journal
• "Will charm and challenge emergent readers."
-Kirkus Reviews