Bear and Squirrel Are Friends . . . Yes, Really!

July 6, 2015
Given the title, there’s no chance Bear would ever want to eat Squirrel, right? Just look at the way that Bear shakes acorns out of trees for Squirrel, and how Squirrel lets Bear use his bushy tail for a dust mop. Their friends, however, remain unconvinced. Squirrel’s fellow squirrels are horrified, while Bear’s pals savor fantasies of eating Squirrel in popcorn, in soup, or even in a sundae. Then comes the ultimate test: Bear goes into hibernation (Squirrel patiently knits a scarf that gets longer and longer) and wakes up feeling as hungry as, well, a bear. Can the friendship—and Squirrel—survive? With toylike drawings, sophisticated characterizations, and sly visual jokes, this very funny story tests and tickles readers’ faith in unlikely friendships before ending up right where it should, thanks to a little narrative misdirection and a Squirrel who knows his friend all too well. Yes, Pilutti (Ten Rules of Being a Superhero) is messing with her audience’s minds, but they won’t mind one bit. Ages 4–8. Agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

July 15, 2015
They might look very different, but Bear and Squirrel are friends. They both like to gather blueberries and acorns for supper. Bear helps Squirrel build his home in a tree. Squirrel helps Bear keep his den clean (fluffy tails make great dusters). And both of them enjoy playing games. Squirrel's squirrel friends ask Squirrel if he is worried Bear might eat him for a snack. "Don't be silly!" Squirrel scoffs. Bear's friends suggest that Bear might find Squirrel a tasty snack. "That's ridiculous!" Then Bear settles in for a long winter nap, and his friend settles in to wait, knitting a prodigious scarf as he does so. When Bear finally wakes up, they're glad to see each other...but they seem different. Bear looks very toothy, and Squirrel-well, Squirrel looks delicious. To the starved Bear, Squirrel actually looks rather a lot like a cupcake. Bear just can't help himself. There's much chomping and chewing, and Bear apologizes...for eating all the pancakes. Whew. Graphic designer Pilutti presents an unconventional friendship tale in a mix of full-bleed and spot illustrations with a smattering of dialogue bubbles that fit seamlessly into the story. The muted palette and flat, cartoon style work well with the silly, affirmative tale. A nifty, expectation-defying read-aloud. (Picture book. 4-8)

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September 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-In this gently teasing picture book, Bear and Squirrel are unusual friends who help each other out. Bear shakes trees so that acorns fall down for Squirrel, and Squirrel helps Bear with some household dusting, but they also play games and have fun together. The other bears and squirrels don't get it-the other bears think Squirrel would be a great snack, and Squirrel's friends worry he'll get eaten. After a long winter of hibernation, Bear awakens and sees Squirrel as a cupcake, and tells Squirrel how delicious he looks. After a few ambiguous and terrifying moments where Bear declares that he can't resist, readers learn that Bear has eaten the blueberry pancakes Squirrel has made without saving any. Bear and Squirrel's friendship is sweet and endearing, but their story is also full of humor, such as when Bear uses Squirrel's tail as a feather duster, Bear's dream bubbles show sandwiches and pizza, and he literally sees Squirrel as a cupcake. The clear, simple illustrations are drawn in muted pastels. Children will laugh at the story and perhaps even learn about being a good friend. VERDICT A general purchase for most library collections.-Liz Anderson, D.C. Public Library

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