Review by Booklist Review
" The air was getting cold. It was time for Squirrel to get ready for winter. As Squirrel dashes around the farm and meadow, his animal friends invite him to join their games: Will you hop rocks with us? ask the frogs. Will you run in the field with us? ask the dogs. The answer to each invitation is the same: Squirrel couldn't. . . . He was so busy! The ink-and-watercolor pictures show squirrel's flurry of activity, as he collects berries and nuts, and prepares his nest for winter. At last, an owl family invites Squirrel to admire the moon, but Squirrel can't he's fast asleep! As in Tafuri's other titles, the basic words and large, clearly defined pictures of familiar animals are perfectly suited for preschool read-alouds. Kids will enjoy chanting along with the story's refrain, while those just learning to read will appreciate the big letters and short sentences. Filled with images of falling leaves, pumpkins, and other signs of autumn, this is a good choice for primary-grade unitsabout the seasons."--"Engberg, Gillian" Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Tafuri (Have You Seen My Duckling?) is in classic form in her latest large-scale offering. As Squirrel hops and jumps through a pumpkin patch and around the nearby woods, his long, rangy body expertly scaling branches and the occasional bird feeder, friends invite him to pause for some fun. "But Squirrel couldn't," explains Tafuri. "He was so busy!" Kids can chime in on six oldie-but-goodie animal sounds ("Squeak, squeak," says Mouse, "Will you nibble a pumpkin with us?") while they savor Tafuri's signature style: the precisely drawn, generously sized animal shapes, the delicate detailing that makes fur and feathers bristle with energy, and the softly variegated colors that evoke the magic of the season. A wonderful book to usher in autumn. Ages 2-5. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-A worthwhile addition to Tafuri's growing treasury of simple and satisfying stories for young children. Squirrel is getting ready for winter. Other animals, such as Mouse, Frog, and Cat, want him to stop and play, but the refrain is always the same: "But Squirrel couldn't....He was so busy!" Finally, when night arrives, Owl invites him to watch the moon, "But Squirrel couldn't-.He was fast asleep!" The drama of the page turn is used to good effect as Squirrel leaps, climbs, and runs through his day gathering and storing food. Readers will be engaged by the oversize illustrations and kept busy naming the many items accumulated-acorns, berries, ears of corn-as well as spotting a fellow squirrel and various insects presented on each spread. The text, with its soothing repetition, is predictable and reassuring. A natural choice for fall read-aloud programs.-Martha Topol, Traverse Heights Elementary School, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When winter nears, Squirrel begins his preparations. The leaves begin to fall and the air starts getting colder, so Squirrel springs into action. He has no time to talk to a pair of mice eating a pumpkin or cardinals on a high branch or frogs on the edge of the pond. "He was so busy!" is the repeated refrain. Not even a family of dogs can slow Squirrel's determined gathering of apples and berries and acorns. Tafuri's signature illustrations, rendered in brush pen, ink and watercolor pencils depict his brisk autumn movements with precision. Owl, protectively covering three wee owlets, asks Squirrel to watch the moon with him, but he can't; he's fast asleep with his booty in the hole of a tree. An appealing nature lesson for the very young, abetted by direct, simple text and the pictures' subtle detail and attractive composition. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
