Squirrel and Bird

Squirrel and Bird are very different. Squirrel is really loud, confident and always busy whereas Bird is really quiet, shy and prefers to sit and do nothing. Yes, they are really different…or are they?

This delightful picture book challenges readers to consider how they view others, encouraging the idea that everyone is an individual with many facets to their personality. Having worked in schools all my working life, quick snap generalisations of children as ‘good’, ‘naughty’, ‘cheeky’ etc have always annoyed me as no one should be judged as one dimensional. ‘Squirrel and Bird’ is perfect for challenging this notion!

An unseen narrator introduces Squirrel and Bird, emphasising their difference. Bird is annoyed by these comments and readers will enjoy noticing that the narrator’s commentary is not a true reflection of what they are actually feeling! Eventually, it all gets too much for Bird who demands that the narrator recognises that there is so much more to Squirrel and Bird than they (the narrator) gives them credit for and starts to rewrite the story with a more perceptive commentary!

The illustrations are simple lovely, using muted, sepia tones and are full of details for children to notice and enjoy. Bird’s comments are presented in a flowing, cursive script, allowing readers to differentiate between their thoughts and the narrator’s commentary. The story is both thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable and would make an excellent book to share with any class of any age to encourage discussion about how we see others, how we see ourselves and how we are all a complex mix of different things at different times.

Squirrel and Bird

Laura Baker, illustrated by Stacey Thomas

Little Tiger ISBN: 978-1838917203