The squirrels who squabbled

Aesop's The Ant and the Grasshopper fable is reimagined with comedy, suspense, and a happy ending in this rollicking, gorgeously illustrated picture book. Of the two titular squirrels, Spontaneous Cyril is the party animal, preferring to live in the moment rather than think ahead. On the other hand, Plan-Ahead Bruce has worked all summer to store enough food for the winter. It's autumn when Cyril and Bruce clash over the last pinecone in the forest, and their competition results in an exciting race up and down a tree, into a rushing river, and over a waterfall literalizing the lesson that greed can drive rivals right over the edge. Bright's rhyming text is energized by dynamic typography that adds intonation and urgency. Field's illustrations infuse excitement into the race through facial expressions, blurring lines of color, and shifting perspective. The natural landscapes dazzle with fall colors and pointillist backgrounds that pop. Lots of fun, underscoring a moral about the perils of selfishness and the benefits of sharing.--Connie Fletcher Copyright 2010 Booklist

A race to the final pine cone leads to a great friendship."Spontaneous Cyril" lives in "the now and the here," but as winter approaches, his cupboards are bare. When he spots a pine cone with the last nuts of the season, he sprints for it. But so does "Plan-Ahead Bruce," and so the "wild, nutty" race begins. Of course, the pine cone falls. It "boing[s] over bushesbing[s] on the nose of a slumbering bear," and "bounce[s] over boulders" before coming to a stop, poised on the edge of a cliff. After close encounters with a pine cone-stealing bird and a waterfall, is it possible that "their nutty young hopes [might] simply end in despair?" Luckily, Cyril pulls Bruce to safety. "Bruised and bedraggled" both, Bruce and Cyril look at each other and burst into giggles over how silly they've been and declare a lasting friendship. Energetic word choices and funny, exciting illustrations make this a great read all the way to the clear, satisfying moral. While it's debatable if "Cyril" and "squirrel" rhyme, the rest of the text definitely does, and it has a natural meter. Descriptive, often alliterative verb choices add to the fun. Richly colored artwork in a lively mix of compositions and perspectives captures the action of the bouncing pine cone and the squirrels' wild water ride. Low contrast between text and background on a few pages makes prereading a must before a read-aloud.A wild, rewarding ride. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.