Donut Feed the Squirrels

June 15, 2020
Squirrel pals go on a stealth mission to procure much-desired donuts in this charming intermediate graphic novel. Norma and Belly are two brown squirrels who love tasty treats! When Norma burns their pancakes one morning, the two discover something even more exciting: a food truck dedicated exclusively to donuts! Determined to bring a sweet treat back for themselves and their squirrel friends, they approach the donut maker hoping to trade chestnuts for donuts only to be spritzed with water and shooed away. Undeterred, the duo recruit the bespectacled squirrel Gramps and Little Bee, a short squirrel whose profile looks like the letter B, for an incognito mission to steal the donuts they long for. They'll have to overcome their small stature, an overenthusiastic donut machine, and their potential discovery by the donut maker in order to procure their tasty treats. A happy ending involving a new squirrel-invented donut flavor reassures readers that the owner of the donut truck doesn't hold a grudge. Norma is a go-getter; her triangular-shaped head and body reflect her willingness to be a bit sharp to get the job done. Belly, thimble-shaped, is optimistic and conflict-averse. A natural color palette and watercolors that comfortably bleed outside thick black lines are fitting for this soft story and let the characters and dialogue shine. Donut miss this delightful diversion. (Graphic fiction. 5-8)

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June 29, 2020
This Robin Hood–tinged graphic novel by Song (Love, Sophia on the Moon) gives a blow-by-blow account of a doughnut heist carried out by improbably named squirrels Norma and Belly. Their target? A red doughnut truck run by a grouchy human proprietor who not only spurns payment in chestnuts but also sprays them with a water bottle. If he’s not willing to accept honest payment, they conclude, they’re justified in turning to crime. Norma (whose head is triangular) and Belly (who’s built like a fire hydrant) enlist the help of squirrel colleagues Gramps, who disguises himself as a throwaway coffee cup, and Little Bee, who supplies the getaway roller skate. Their scheme produces doughnuts for everybody, and an unexpected treat for the doughnut purveyor. Drawing with graceful ink lines and colored wash, Song capitalizes on comic moments: the way the spray bottle turns Norma and Belly into unrecognizable floofs, the Rube Goldberg–like machinery of the doughnut maker, and the precariously balanced tower of stolen goods. Norma and Belly are never snarky; instead, they present a consistent mix of enterprise, wit, and cheer. Even the doughnut man emerges as a character who’s open to change. Ages 5–8. Agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary Studio.

Starred review from July 1, 2020
Grades 1-4 *Starred Review* It's been a rollercoaster of a morning for squirrel sisters Norma and Belly. First there were going to be pancakes (queue the Pancake Dance!). Then, the pancakes burned, ruining breakfast. And then, a delicious new smell wafts in the girls' direction. They (and a park's worth of other squirrels) follow the scent to a red food truck that's selling something called donuts. Norma lets out a rallying cry, Donuts for everyone! before taking off with Belly to procure the treat with a stack of chestnuts. After some minor gymnastics, the two squirrels perch in front of the order window, request two donuts, and are spritzed with water by the baker for their trouble. Undeterred, Norma and Belly recruit Gramps (the expert in disguise) and Little Bee (the getaway driver) to pull off a donut heist. Song's utterly adorable illustrations feature simple black-ink lines and splashes of watercolor, yet they convey a great deal of action and expression. The squirrels?Belly resembling an elongated tan gumdrop and Norma an angular hourglass?are feisty and tenacious, and their plan to steal a sack of donuts from the truck goes wonderfully awry and leaves the crime scene splattered with batter. Their antics are divided into five short chapters that young readers can read with confidence, and the sweet ending unquestionably satisfies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

August 1, 2020

K-Gr 2-Resident squirrels Norma and Belly are thick as thieves, in addition to being actual thieves. Having burned their pancakes, they are lured outside of their tree-trunk domicile by the sweet scent of a doughnut truck that's set up shop. With the help of a couple of crafty accomplices, they plot to steal doughnuts for a giant party. Song uses negative space and highlighting to create contrast between the fuzzy masterminds and their environments. Her watercolors are gentle but expressive, as are her inked shapes. All four squirrel protagonists have distinct silhouettes, including Gramps, an older fellow with huge rectangular glasses, and Little Bee, who resembles the letter B. Onomatopoeia brings the squirrels' antics to life: Thunk, boing, splat, crash, screech, woosh, spritz, ding, and shhhhh accompany the silly animal slapstick and the sounds of the truck's automated machinery. The humans of the story-the doughnut maker and a neighborhood child who loves to glide around on roller skates-are largely oblivious to the squirrels' hunger-fueled schemes. Everyone comes out ahead eventually, resulting in an amusing tale of friendship, teamwork, and unintended consequences. Word balloons are generally large and clearly placed, with most of them using fewer than five words each. Young readers will enjoy using context clues to predict how characters' will behave. VERDICT Independent readers will devour this sweet and scrumptious heist story.-Thomas Maluck, Richland Lib., SC

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