A squirrelly situation

Soft-hearted Travis Tate brings home an abandoned baby squirrel and coaxes the kitchen cat to nurse it as her own. As they grow, Fluffy the squirrel and Thud, his enormous kitten brother, have a series of misadventures and, after the screen door slams on Fluffy's tail, Travis' older sister, Calpurnia, practices her skills as a vet-in-training. A squirrel-hunting competition proves challenging for Travis, who almost loses the biggest squirrel contest when Winston, an older boy, attempts to cheat. Later, after Winston is shunned by their schoolmates, Travis manages to forgive his adversary publicly, a feat of compassion more challenging than loving baby animals. The distinctive jacket illustration, wide-spaced lines of text, and expressive black-and-white illustrations make this an inviting choice for readers moving up to chapter books. Like the earlier books in the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet series, the setting is rural Texas at the turn of the twentieth century. Calpurnia serves as a lively narrator, sympathetic to Travis, but adding her own perspective. An engaging, sometimes amusing early chapter book.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2019 Booklist