Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When it comes to his single-minded pursuit of "the most delicious-looking acorn he had ever seen," Squirrel makes Tolkien's Gollum look ambivalent. Never mind that Squirrel's tree hole is already stuffed to the breaking point with acorns-after he squeezes that one last perfect acorn in with the others, the tree explodes and the chase is on (good thing Squirrel has bright red gym shoes). As the action leaves the forest, it's clear that Squirrel also has an indomitable will: nothing, whether it's having to master a pogo stick or being subjected to hugs at a girl's birthday party, is going to stop him from getting that acorn. Debut author McClurkan knows how to keep the pages turning. His digital images have the crisp, focused aesthetic of vintage cartoons, while the string of mostly single-plane compositions give the sense of an ongoing pursuit. And, of course, the goofy, inexhaustible stubbornness of his wide-eyed hero provides enough emotional accelerant for an army-squirrel or otherwise. Prepare for Squirrel's recurring refrain of "Aw nuts" to become an oft-used family catchphrase. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Photoshop cartoons of urban life follow a toothy squirrel with a feather tail across the city in pursuit of a runaway acorn. The persistent rodent's title refrain punctuates his far-fetched challenges, from a taxi running out of gas to a truck that misguides him to Bucksnort, Tennessee. Despite being dressed as a doll at a party and having his boat spring a leak, fate rewards him. The "perfect acorn" lands in an enormous pile of nuts, turning his refrain from dismay to glee. The bounty, however, does not satisfy, for at the end, the Squirrel sees another "most delicious-looking" acorn bounce away. The flat drawings with minimal details reflect the quick pace of the morning cartoon-style story, which is appropriately speckled with onomatopoeia and brief asides by passing characters.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (c) Copyright 2012. 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
After nut-loving Squirrel's "prized acorn" bounces away, he crosses hell and high water to retrieve it. The book's unrelentingly satisfying silliness, featuring gag-filled illustrations, supports a lesson in homonyms: aspects of Squirrel's journey (losing a shoe, falling into a manhole, etc.) inspire the titular exclamation, which holds another meaning entirely when Squirrel encounters an acorn mountain and says, "AW, NUTS! (c) Copyright 2014. 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
What self-respecting squirrel wouldn't take off in hot pursuit of the Platonic acorn?As squirrels do, this one is squirreling away nuts for the coming winter. He's already got a nice little hoard, but one escapes the jam-packed larder. It doesn't escape Squirrel's notice, though. This is no regular acorn: Perhaps it was the acorn of youth or the acorn of plenty. Anyway, Squirrel chases it across town via taxi, pogo stick, delivery van, dog, boat, horse, even a helium balloon, until the acorn comes to rest in a mountain of acorns. Squirrel plucks the artful, dodging acorn and brings it homealong with all the other acornsfor a special repast. Just as he is settled in his easy chair, well, another acorn catches his eye as it pops free of the fold.Chasing a dream should not be denied, but it looks like Squirrel is getting awfully hungry. Plus, it is hard to differentiate the everyday from the sublime here: A joke about a one-note creature is hard to raise above the, well, single note. The artwork feels more like it is on celluloid than canvas or paper, the washed-out colors also lacking depth or texture.A thin rendering of an uninspired story. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
