Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Having already proved they're ideally matched in their debut, Those Darn Squirrels! (2008), Rubin and Salmieri go for two-and succeed. This time, Mr. Fookwire, his beloved backyard birds, and his relentlessly clever squirrel frenemies are united against a new neighbor and common enemy: a corpulent, take-no-prisoners cat named Muffins, whose idea of fun is giving the squirrels noogies, wet willies, and wedgies-and the last, readers are reminded, is "not an easy thing to do, because generally squirrels do not wear underpants." But before Muffins can show what he has in mind for the birds (who seem utterly clueless despite their curvilinear grace), the squirrels summon their ingenuity (their idea of brain food is cheese puffs and ginger ale) and concoct a revenge scheme that has Muffins retreating indoors permanently, thus insinuating themselves into Mr. Fookwire's grumpy affections once more. Rubin's sly ironies and Salmieri's spare but deeply goofy aesthetic is child-friendly urbanity at its best. And those squirrels! Impish, beady-eyed, and never individuated, they steal the spotlight in every scene. Ages 5-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Great googley-moogley! Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri's quirky and funny picture book trilogy (Clarion) about Old Man Fookwire and his rodent archenemies appears in three iconographically animated shorts. Fookwire is a grumpy guy whose only joy is watching and painting the colorful birds that visit the feeders in his yard. To his consternation, his yard is also populated by "fuzzy little geniuses." In each story, the squirrels use their wiles to make mischief, solve problems, and break through the iron fence around Old Man Fookwire's heart. Seasoned audio performer Kirby Heyborne narrates, unabashedly growling Fookwire's dialogue and reading the exposition with amusement. Playful music is lightly heard behind Heyborne's narration, alternating with basic sound effects, such as birds tweeting, cats yowling, horns honking, and ocean waves crashing. Viewers have the option to watch with or without captions. These humorous stories could have benefited from actual animation to bring more vibrancy to their whimsy, but they are good fun nevertheless.-Jennifer Verbrugge, Dakota County Library, MN (c) Copyright 2014. 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 Horn Book Review
Bird-loving Old Man Fookwire (Those Darn Squirrels!) continues to be exasperated by the creatures that terrorize his feathered friends. When a new neighbor with a bully of a cat moves in, Fookwire ends up being grateful to his former enemies. Humorous watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil drawings (see: squirrels with wedgies), along with silly text, play up the goofiness. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Squirrels, watch out; there's a new cat in town. These pesky rodents perpetually annoy ornery Old Man Fookwire, shooting through his mail slot and finishing his crossword puzzles. The cunning critters lose their mischievous edge when Little Old Lady Hu moves in next door, though. Her delectable desserts are no compensation for the vicious pet she brings into the neighborhood. She's adamant that her "cuddly honey bunny" Muffins wouldn't harm a fly, but this antagonistic feline is far from kind. His outrageous tactics win him numero uno status among the resident animals; he's even successful in administering wedgies to the mortified squirrels. Fed up with the harassment, the victimized critters form an alliance to thwart this backyard bully. The droll narrative shines in its details. Quirky expressions depict outrage and delight ("Great googley-moogley!"); trenchant language captures personality (Muffins "was a real jerk"). Salmieri's illustrations provide the perfect counterpoint. The treacherous housecat's mannerisms resemble a feline Dr. Evil; his cunning smile and crossed legs exude a delightfully awful menace. Watercolor, gouache and colored pencil spreads provide a light background for each comic interaction. This sassy sequel to Those Darn Squirrels! (2008) lets readers feel the thrill of putting bullies in their place. Great googley-moogley, indeed. (Picture book. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
