Book review: Squirrel in the House, by Vivian Vande Velde, illustrated by Steve Bjorkman

Vivian Vande Velde. Squirrel in the House. Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman. Holiday House, 2016. $15.95.  ISBN 978-0-8234-3633-0. 72 p. Gr. 3 – 7. P7Q8

The narrator, a squirrel, thinks he has been invited into a house.  He shares his adventures and his unique point of view of the comforts and freedoms of his life and his experiences on the “Inside”.

Verdict: The narrator stays true to the squirrel’s POV.  A reader will have a fun time decoding some of the descriptions.  For example when the squirrel is in the kitchen he describes the refrigerator as a tall box that hums.  Young readers will enjoy the adventure without feeling belittled.  The sentence structure is complex and the story humorous.  The illustrations, by Steve Bjorkman, enhance the story and add to the humor.  He captures the almost frantic movements of the squirrel and the people he surprises.

October 2016 review by Shelly Jones.

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