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

It’s Tough to be Tiny

‘It’s Tough to be Tiny’ offers a fascinating and entertaining look at the world of the tiniest creatures. Miniscule they may be, but they have ways and means of defending and attacking which are ingenious and often surprising!

The book introduces the reader to a whole host of creatures and their habits. The larvae of the horse mint tortoise beetle carries a ‘poo umbrella’, filled with toxic chemicals from the plants they eat, which they can lift up and wave around or swing like a club if they feel threatened. Stentor, on the other hand, ball themselves up like a sock locate a good hunting ground and then stretch themselves into a trumpet shape and start up their tractor beam which drags other creatures inside this funnel where they are digested.

Other micro-monsters take a different approach, looking to others for protection or support. The Hawaiian bobtail squid is protected from predators by glowing bacteria living in their belly who benefit from the safety of living inside the squid and being provided with a supply of food and oxygen.

Every page is packed with fascinating facts, presented in easily digestible sections and all accompanied by appealing illustrations. The book is perfect for anyone curious about the natural world and the creatures who are both tough and tiny.

It’s Tough to be Tiny: The Secret Life of Small Creatures

Kim Ryall Woolcock, illustrated by Stacey Thomas

Flying Eye Books ISBN: 9781838740764