The Great Nut Hunt

Squirrel is busy at work, gathering as many nuts as he can and hiding them away to keep them safe. However, he soon forgets where he has put them and sets off to find them. Does Bear have them? Owl? Beaver? It might take a little help from his friends if Squirrel is to find them!

Bouncy rhyming text make ‘The Great Nut Hunt’ a real joy to read aloud, perfect for engaging children!

There is so much to love about this story! Having lost his precious store of nuts, Squirrel suspects that his friends might have taken them and so sneaks into their homes, taking something from each of them. He ends up both disappointed and feeling like he has been a really bad friend. Fortunately, his friends are willing to forgive him and kind enough to offer their friendship and support. Perfect for starting discussions about making mistakes, the story shows the importance of owning up to being wrong and apologising.

The story also offers plenty of curriculum enrichment as it is sure to generate discussions about squirrels hibernation habits and why they need to cache nuts. A note at the end of the book says that millions of trees are planted by squirrels each year in this way! The story might lead to a tree planting event or a walk through some woods, looking for evidence of new growth, perhaps caused by squirrels! They could also look closely at the type of nuts that squirrels bury and then look at the trees/ plants which grow as a result.

Children will love lingering over the illustrations and noticing all the details. It was pointed out to me that Squirrel trying unsuccessfully to shut his front door on his stash of nuts is very like me trying to close my library door! I deny this, of course!

Great fun, this is sure to quickly become a story time favourite at home and at school!

The Great Nut Hunt

Karl Newson, illustrated by Nia Havilliard

Scholastic ISBN: 978-0702342165