A Walk In A Wintry Wood

While the rest of the residents are close to ending their day or already sleeping, we take a final walk.  Our breath looks like puffs of smoke in the frigid air.  The snow-covered ground, bushes and trees help to blanket the night in silence.  Our senses soak in all this season of winter has to offer us.

As we move down the well-worn path, we pause wondering if there are others enjoying the majesty of this moment when the world is cloaked in contrasting black and white.  Bear and Wolf (Enchanted Lion Books, February 2018) written and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri brings readers into a winter's night in the woods.  Normally avoiding each other out of mutual respect and as competitors for food, two young animals meet.

It was a windless night and glowing snowflakes fell through the trees deep in the forest.

A bear is walking through the snow in this forest when something catches her attention.  At the same time a wolf strolling through the falling flakes in these woods notices something.  The young bear and the young wolf move closer, stop and stare.  Their noses inhale the scent of each other.

As they converse it becomes apparent neither is lost but they are out to take pleasure in their surroundings.  Deciding to walk together they move in silence.  They are keenly aware of all the night and the season has to reveal.  At one point they pause.  No two snowflakes are alike.

A night bird soars above the quiet companions.  She sees two shapes wandering through the snow.  Resting on a branch she sees it's a bear and a wolf . . . together.  Bear and Wolf move past Bird without a sound.

The duo comes to a large clear area, a lake frozen by the seasonal temperatures.  When Bear moves some snow aside, they can see snoozing fish drifting.  All too soon Bear says she has to return to her den to sleep with her family.  Wolf says he has to go to hunt with his pack.  This is a winter walk both will remember.  Time moves into spring with wishes uttered on a winter walk coming true.


As soon as we read the first sentence written by Daniel Salmieri we are there in the snowy forest with Bear. His word choices create a sensory scene in our minds.  The use of repetition in portions of the narrative forms a pleasing pacing and a soothing storytelling rhythm.  Here is a passage.

Bear and Wolf walked through the quietly falling snow,
using their eyes, and ears, and noses to take in the snowy woods.
They both had thick, warm fur that covered their whole bodies.
They were creatures made to be comfortable in the very cold.


One of the initial things you notice upon opening the matching dust jacket and book case is the texture of both.  The dust jacket is of sturdy stock.  When you remove the dust jacket you can see the interior is colored in black and white.  Is it a star-studded sky or snow falling in a darkened forest?  It's full of magical possibilities.  The symmetry of Bear's and Wolf's heads on the front conveys the connection of the two during this shared experience.  The book case has the feel of fabric.

To the left, on the back, is a snowy landscape with two sets of footprints side-by-side extending from the bottom toward the top.  On the opening endpapers on a charcoal gray background are large splotches of white, pale blue, and pale purple.  It's as if we've moved close to the falling snow.  Fields of grass waving in a breeze cover the closing endpapers.

The title page is black with the text in white.  A page turn takes us into the forest with three trees bare of leaves stretching upward and their trunks placed from left to right, the second in the gutter.  Between the arch of the second and third trees is the dedication.

All of the illustrations span two pages.  Each atmospheric setting brings us further into the story.  In the first image we are experiencing it from Bear's perspective.  In the next, we are one with Wolf.  In the third we are observers.  This point of view shifts throughout the story.  It brings us close to the characters or gives us a panoramic spread.  Two of the pictures are wordless but speak volumes.

The technique employed by Daniel Salmieri is textured and soft.  His lines and layers appeal to our senses.  Many of the pictures ask us to pause and enjoy the moment with the characters.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Bear and Wolf agree to continue their walk together.  The partial trunks of two trees frame the left and right of the picture.  A third tree truck extends from the left through the gutter to the right.  More of the trunk is on the right.  In the space between those trunks are smaller trees, falling snow and a landscape shaded in blues and purples.  In the first one on the left Wolf and Bear are walking away from us into the forest.


If you seek a deep sense of calm and the wonder and surprises nature can offer, Bear and Wolf, the debut title written and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri, is a perfect book for you.  It will be a much requested read aloud whether one-on-one or with a group.  It is an excellent selection for wolf or bear themes, nature and seasonal appreciation or seeking peace and quiet.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Daniel Salmieri and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Daniel maintains an account on Instagram. On Mackin Books In Bloom Daniel has written a guest post.  UPDATE:  Teacher librarian Travis Jonker premieres the book trailer on his blog, 100 Scope Notes, December 3, 2018.

Recipe For Beep! Boop! Bop!

When a version of the phrase,

you are what you eat,

originated nearly two hundred years ago, it was meant to imply food will determine the state of your health.  Today with the plethora of specialty cookbooks, diet plans, nutritionists and chefs with star status the definition remains intact.  In fact scientific research supports the belief certain ingredients consumed will heighten and lengthen or conversely prove detrimental to our lives.

Author Adam Rubin and illustrator Daniel Salmieri, the collaborative team who brought us Those Darn Squirrels, Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door, Dragons Love Tacos, Those Darn Squirrels Fly South, Secret Pizza Party, and Big Bad Bubble, have combined their considerable talents and love of wacky wildness to explore the notion of whipping up a special potion.  In Robo-Sauce (Dial Books For Young Readers, October 20, 2015) we discover with the right stuff dreams can and do come true.  Get ready readers!

Hey, kid! Sweet Robo-Costume.  
Perfect for whomping on squishy humans.

A boy and his dog creatively attired in robot wear annoy their family with typical mechanical mannerisms until everyone leaves the room. An unseen narrator speaks to the possibility of a potent formula designed to turn the consumer into

a giant awesome robot.

As fate would have it, this party happens to have a recipe named BOOM.

The common household ingredients so named are like a list of make-believe mojo.  Once mixed the neon-orange goop needs to be taken a spoonful at a time.  When that does not work, the voice recommends the boy dump the whole concoction over his body.  As an apology is being issued due to the lack of any kind of transformation, the page explodes into sound.  SHAZAM! The boy is now

a giant awesome robot.

After going on a rampage around the neighborhood, this newly created mass of metal realizes no one wants to be around this type of destructive force.  The narrator wrongly assumes the boy will want an antidote.  Instead a portion of his anatomy produces MORE Robo-Sauce which he promptly uses to zap his family and canine companion.

When the narrator, who has totally lost control of the story, makes an observation, the boy robot speaks a command.  Under the spell of his magical mayhem we have no choice but to obey.  We manipulate, we turn, we open and read.  SHAZAM! We are surprised.


By the time I finished reading this book written by Adam Rubin multiple times, I realized a smile was on my face as I read from cover to cover and then some.  The voice of the narrator, clearly bold, is also speaking in confidential tones to the intended audience in their language.   We become, without any direct awareness until near the end, avid participants in the story.  It's the word choices and pacing which envelope us.  Here is another sample passage.

Jumping Jingleheimer Schmidt--it worked!  I mean, of course it worked...Hey, ROBO-KID! Check out your sweet blinking lights and sparkling antennas.  Listen to those beautiful "Beeps" and "Boops."

Now you can do all the cool stuff you never got to do when you were busy not being a robot.


As someone who immediately removes the dust jacket on a new picture book, it was interesting to note this title has none.  Running your hands over the book case you discover the warning label is real and raised.  The Robo-Sauce color dripping from the title text, the boy, his dog and the robot all address events to come.  Careful readers will wonder about the tiny blinking red dot at the bottom.  On the back of the book case the dog is placed in his robot costume beneath an introduction which would normally appear on the inside of the jacket flaps.  Underneath we have text traditionally located on the back jacket flap.  No space is wasted.  Opening the cover the title page and verso greet readers.

In a series of images, some double-page spreads, others single pages or a group of smaller pictures on one page, Daniel Salmieri, using a limited color palette, elevates the fun of this story to new heights.  Using pencil, ink and a computer his illustrations create a cast of quirky characters in unbelievable settings.  As the story shifts to the conclusion, we can feel the emotional mood change in the expressions and body postures.

The paper engineering, invitation and instructions to the reader are nothing short of marvelous.  The different background and texture are sure to elicit true glee.  Even after reading it repeatedly the result is as good as the very first time.

One of Xena's favorite illustrations (and mine) is a two-page spread, a close-up, of the dog after it's been covered in Robo-Sauce.  A two-word comment

Oh, great. 

is placed on the white background.  Metal has replaced fur.  The eyes are glowing orange.  A small blinking antenna sticks up out of the head.

WOOF WOOF
ARF ARF ARF

appear on the language screen.  The two back legs are different from the two front legs, designed for special purposes.  I burst out laughing when I saw this.


Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri hold in their hearts and minds the ability to maintain all the joys of being a child.  Robo-Sauce is a celebration of inventiveness and a reminder to step back, being free to play.  Please read this title over and over and share it as often as you can.

To learn more about Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri and their other books,  please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  A special website has been created specifically for this book.  It's packed with beep-boop-bop goodness.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson talks with Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri about Robo-Sauce at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  There's lots of artwork and laughter there.

Monotonous Mirth

Beach glass among a shoreline strewn with dull gray rocks and pebbles stands out like a beacon.  Popping up through dusty brown leaves, the first crocus shouts out the changing season.  A star-studded midnight walk can shift into the realm of science fiction if the Northern Lights decide to pulse across the horizon.

Similarly if you've ever been in a day-to-day situation suddenly shaken from tedium by a glaring contrast, it's hard not to experience a huge emotional shift.  There are those who would gasp at the change in continuity.  Meet the Dullards (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, March 24, 2015) written by Sara Pennypacker with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri is about such a family; at least the parents.

One day, Mr. and Mrs. Dullard received quite a nasty surprise.

They are shocked to see their daughter and sons reading books.  This is quite unacceptable.  As a replacement the children are given blank, pristine white, paper to read.

The behavior of the children has been rather strange. Mr. and Mrs. Dullard are certain something is influencing them in an unsavory manner.  They've asked to go to school.  They've been trying to play outside.  This calls for drastic action.

Let's pause here for a moment.  Mr. and Mrs. Dullard are exactly as their name implies.  They think a snail crossing the road is

like a circus around here.

Without a second thought the family packs up and moves to a new location.  The neighbor lady, as a show of good will, brings them an applesauce cake which is turned away due to the chunky ingredients.  To calm their nerves the children are instructed to watch television.  It is, of course, unplugged.

When the parents next check on their hopefully dull children in this new boring setting, they swoon from another surprise.  To cover this latest misadventure of their offspring, they head to the paint store.  After a suitable shade is selected and applied at home, they all stare at the walls watching it dry.

When Mr. and Mrs. shake themselves out of this pleasant reverie, their children have vanished.  What the parents discover is indeed appalling.  As quick as a wink Blanda, Borely, and Little Dud and all the Dullard possessions are again loaded into the car and trailer and the family heads back to their original residence.  Relieved that total dullness is restored mom and dad drift off to dreamland as the sister and brothers race toward their dreams.


Throughout the story the three children never utter a single word.  Sara Pennypacker pens a superb setting for comedy to prevail by combining parental conversations with the narration.  Her sentences leave space for visual interpretation by the illustrator by not always stating the specifics but they also leave no doubt as to the dreariness of the Dullard's lives.  Here are a couple of examples.

Mrs. Dullard shook her head sadly.
"Where did we go wrong?"
"Now, now," Mr. Dullard comforted his wife.
"It can't be our fault...we're perfectly dull.
"Perhaps it's this place," he said. "Last fall, remember, 
some leaves turned color. ...

"Please don't use exclamation marks in front of our children," said Mrs. Dullard.


The family Dullards featured on the front of the dust jacket (I'm working from an F & G) is as bland as can be; standing stiffly all in a row, wearing gray clothing, lacking any sort of style, with faces nearly devoid of expression.  The one exception is Little Dud.  His head turned to watch the dog balancing on the ball is the first hint of attitude drifting away from dull.  On the back, to the left, within a circular shape surrounded by blue sits an open box.  Its label reads Interesting Items.  Inside are a game, Monotony, and a book, Cooking Without Flavor.  The title page showcases three photographs, one for each of the children, shown in situations with their boredom in comparison to the other animated children.  With a page turn, the verso and first page of the narrative show the aghast looks on Mr. and Mrs. Dullard's faces as they see their children reading...horror of horrors...books.

Rendered in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil, the images stretch and fuel the text with utmost hilarity.  Daniel Salmieri has a true gift at featuring, through his pictures, insider moments in contradiction to the written words.  Most of the illustrations span two pages with only a few exceptions.  Those exceptions, like the image on the back of the dust jacket, are framed in a smaller circle, delineating a special sequence. Careful readers will watch the children, their body postures, and facial expressions to gather clues as humorous expectations grow.

One of my favorite illustrations is one of several which are wordless.  Mr. and Mrs. Dullard have found their children, after the watching-the-paint-dry episode, playing outside.  Spanning two pages is the open window with them standing on either side.  Against the background of a sky at sunset the children are engaged in activities reflective of their heart's desires, hinted at in their reading choices and their antics at the paint store.  The looks on everyone's faces are laughter inducing.


Meet the Dullards written by Sara Pennypacker with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri is most assuredly not the Extra Boring Edition!!  This title is going to become a story time and bedtime favorite due to what I term a supremely high laughter factor.  The constant comedic contrasts between text and images and the parents and their children make this a picture book prize.

For more information about both Sara Pennypacker and Daniel Salmieri please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.

Shhhhh...Can You Keep A Secret?

Truthfully, I can't remember a time when I did not like pizza.  Growing up I can still remember the thrill of knowing a pizza night was close at hand when the Chef Boyardee box showed up in the pantry after Mom went grocery shopping.  As I got older my homemade pizza dough from scratch was a household favorite.

Say the word pizza party to a group of students and watch what happens; eyes will light up and a quiet buzz will spread around the room.  The team that brought readers Those Darn Squirrels (Clarion Books, 2008), Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door (Clarion Books, 2011), Those Darn Squirrels Fly South (Clarion Books, 2012) and Dragons Love Tacos (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012) have a new title guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.  Secret Pizza Party (Dial Books for Young Readers) is a ring-tailed rascal's quest for this mouth-watering, gourmet, doughy delight.

Poor Raccoon.
All he wants in life is some pizza.

Peering into pizzeria windows and invading trash cans, does not seem to be working in his favor.  As the narrator extols the virtues of all things pizza with apologies to the forlorn, frustrated Raccoon, a plan is suggested, a plan which must not be revealed to anyone.

Lest Raccoon needs a refresher on the true meaning of secret, the conspiratorial voice explains to him and the reader the advantages of keeping mum.  There is one problem though; how to get the pizza delivered to Raccoon.  I mean...after all...he is wanted for pizza theft.  But what's a party without the main course?!

Who's that in the trench coat, boots, wide-brimmed hat and glasses?  Shhhh...it's Raccoon.  He's going in to pick up a pizza.  Money?  Wallet?  He's got to run now on what promises to be a challenging, rather than a perfect, route back to his home inside the tree trunk.

Now it's time for the secret pizza party.  Wait a minute...there's the sound of voices, many voices, bright lights and a distinctive odor coming from outside Raccoon's home.  And he's off...


Adam Rubin reels readers right into the story with his snappy narration; a voice acting in partnership with Raccoon while providing readers with the inside scoop.  Lead by contemporary word choices loaded with humor we willingly follow the path, collaborators in the plan.  His descriptions of the pizza, his comparisons between regular and secret, the rambling escape route and the surprising conclusion combine to make the best kind of story; feeding our desire for a fun-filled adventure.  Here is a single example.  

Hot diggity dog, our pizza party is going to be so much fun!
Call the pizza man and tell him to bring over his absolute finest pizza pie.

Hang on a minute, you don't want the delivery guy to know where you live.

One of my favorite things about the artwork of Dan Salmieri is how his details convey and encompass the theme of a story.  The front jacket and cover done in shades of black featuring Raccoon in his disguise, eyes looking straight at the reader, finger to his mouth asking for quiet, the title done in shapes of pizza in front of the darkened pizza parlor, match the mood of secrecy.  The back jacket and cover feature a wanted poster of Raccoon, REWARD: 1 FREE PIE (NO TOPPINGS), nails holding it in place.  The opening and closing endpapers are patterned in slices of cheese pizza on a white background.

Using watercolor, gouache, and color pencil Salmieri alternates between black and white backgrounds, a variety of picture sizes, double page, single page and smaller vignettes, with his signature characters.  It's in looking at the eyes, the long thin arms, body motions and facial emotions, readers will be hard pressed not to burst into laughter.  Raccoon face pressed against the glass of the pizza restaurant watching people eat,  the decor in his abode, pizza graphics on the walls, a bedspread covered in whole pizzas, a lampshade in the shape of a pizza slice, and the page without text showing him full figure in his undercover garb, are top-notch hilarity.


I love the minds that pair raccoons, those notorious nocturnal raiders, with a favorite food.  Secret Pizza Party written by Adam Rubin with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri is a passion, no... an obsession, gone wild.  I know readers will enjoy hearing this story read to them with the same frequency they enjoy eating pizza, every meal, every day.

Please visit the author and illustrator websites linked to their names above.

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A...Squirrel?

When you grow to love the characters in a book, the news that the author and illustrator are collaborating to create a second is cause for jubilation.  If the second title is as good as or even better than the first, a reader begins to hope, hope for yet another.  When the third volume appears you want to  climb the tallest tree with a megaphone and shout out the good tidings to anyone who will listen.

Since their initial entry into the world of children's literature with Those Darn Squirrels, followed by Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door, the duo of author, Adam Rubin, and illustrator, Daniel Samieri, have become known for their absolute hilarity.  Third in the series, Those Darn Squirrels Fly South (Clarion Books) is no exception. There is a marvelous magic in the number three.

Old Man Fookwire lived at the edge of town in a beautiful forest full of birds and squirrels.

If you looked up the definition of cranky, crabby and cantankerous in the dictionary, I give you one guess as to whose picture would be there.  Yes, indeed...Old Man Fookwire.  That guy seems to find fault with nearly everything except for the birds in the forest.  Seasons permitting, he paints pictures of them for hours each and every day.

With winter in the offing, he is not looking forward to the snowy, blowy days without their company.  Of course, he won't be entirely alone.  Oh, no, those darn squirrels will be wreaking havoc as per usual.  Unbeknownst to Old Man Fookwire, the inventive fluff-tailed creatures are hard at work on another of their ingenious plans.

Mr. Never Smiles is flabbergasted to hear strange sounds following the faint cries of his birds fluttering southward.  It's those darn squirrels in all sorts of flying contraptions!  Why should the birds have all the fun of frolicking in the sunny climes?

Weeks go by with Old Man Fookwire settling in for a long winter.  He is suddenly wakened by the strangest phone call.  It would seem that a trip needs to be made in his 1957 sports car.  

It's doubtful anyone will ever be able to explain what happened at the end of that journey south.  Maybe it was because of those darn squirrels but when Fookwire arrived, he did something that even surprised him.  A word of warning, whatever you do, keep the squirrels away from your car.

Witty, declarative sentences string together to form an outlandish story told matter-of-factly which in turn induces loads of laughs.  Adam Rubin's gift of gab is further exemplified in the names of his bird types (not to mention the name Fookwire), his keen descriptions of place and events and sometimes in his use of a repetitive form for emphasis.  His ability to speed up, slow down, shift from one character's scene to another without losing the flow makes for jim-dandy reading.  Here is a single passage.

Fookwire pouted as the sound of flapping wings

faded into the distance.  He turned to go inside---

and heard a rustling in the trees.  A rustling

followed by a whir.  A whir followed by a buzz.

Rendered in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil, Daniel Salmieri's illustrations truly heighten and extend the prevalent humor.  His cover and jacket clearly predict the eventual "family" gathering on the warmer southern sands.  His title page features blue sky and a sandy beach with the bottom portion of a chunky tree in the center, showcasing a carved title, author and illustrator names with the "Fly South" written on paper tacked to the tree, six squirrel tales sticking out from behind.

Old Man Fookwire is characterized with long skinny arms and legs, bald head, glasses propped on a pointy nose and a mouth which from time to time appears almost beakish.  Perhaps he is assuming the qualities of the feathered friends he so admires.  Incredible detail in the squirrels' workshop as they perfect their modes of flight, following their take-off, travel, landing and celebration are fantastically funny.  Salmieri most definitely creates motion and mood expertly.  

The only thing better than laughing out loud when you are reading a book by yourself, is to read it aloud with others, sharing in the laughter.  Those Darn Squirrels Fly South by Adam Rubin with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri is guaranteed to provoke gales of giggles and glee.  I dare you...I double dog dare you...to read this and not have an ear to ear grin plastered on your face more than once.

Dragons' Dietary Delight

Scattered throughout my home are my TBR piles prominently on display much like pieces of furniture.  I am one of those people, when presented with gifts at my birthday or a holiday, who like to open each one slowly relishing the moment.  For that reason I have many wonderful books stacked waiting to be read which should have been enjoyed months, weeks or even days ago.

One of those titles I was urged to pick up and read right away by Ame Dyckman, author of her first book, Boy + Bot (Alfred A. Knopf), with illustrations by Dan Yaccarino, on Twitter was Dragons Love Tacos (Dial Books for Young Readers), by Adam Rubin with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri.    (Amy's book is on the top of my picture book TBR pile.)  Yes, the hoot and holler duo, that brought readers Those Darn Squirrels and  Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door are back.  From a tree-lined backyard with forest critters to one filled with dragons of fantasy, they take flight, fly high and well.

An unseen narrator begins the tale as readers view a boy and his dog in his bedroom decorated with everything a la dragon:

Hey, kid!
Did you know that dragons love tacos?
They love beef tacos and chicken tacos.
They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.

This narrator goes on to propose reasons for this love; the last of three has a distinct air of mystery.  Then the speaker, like a news reporter, moves to the scene of a dragon emerging from a favorite taco take-out shop, asking for answers, reasons why.  Meanwhile the young dragon lover, Robbie, and his furry friend are laying out the fixings for concocting salsa only to discover from the narrator, no less, dragons do not appreciate spicy salsa.

I guess anyone would hate spicy salsa if it made your ears smoke, sparks come from your nose or gave you a stomach ache.  But what dragons do love, in addition to tacos, is parties.  And the best party of all is...you guessed it...a taco party.

With a flurry of preparations completed, oodles and oodles of tacos, getting rid of all the hot sauce and party decorations, dog and boy bask in the fruits of their labors as dragons converge. With the gala event in full swing the voice points to something tiny and green that's been missed.  Yikes!  Holy smokes...

Adam Rubin's use of a narrator makes readers feel as though they are sitting down to hear the words of storyteller; it adds to the intimacy inviting readers to partake in the world of boy, dog and dragons.  When the humor and surprises come it's more potent when shared in this manner.  Listing reasons in groups of three, the repetition of phrases with a single word change for emphasis and the word choices reflecting a conversation among friends,

But wait!...
...oh boy...
...Just remember:...

combine to make this narrative a surefire winner.

Watercolor, gouache and color pencil in the resourceful hands of artist, Daniel Salmieri, most certainly spice up the laughter factor. With endpapers covered in miniature tacos and a title page picturing a silver platter, lid lifted by a purple dragon hand to reveal a delicious looking single taco, readers are welcomed into the world of taco.  Title verso and dedication page spread to include a view of the land of dragon with the Taco Cave in the foreground.

Salmieri's attention to detail encourages readers to pause and grin.  In the boy's bedroom dragons decorate the lampshade next to a bed with medieval towers for bedposts, Kodi, meaning helpful, on the dog's dish, dragons on the dog's collar, a dragon arm reaching into a page giving the thumb's up sign and a taco calendar hanging on a dragon's cave wall are only some of the numerous little extras he provides.  The tiny arms and legs supporting his characters' bodies and the facial expressions on all are so much fun.

Together Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri have in Dragons Love Tacos a book guaranteed to generate giggles and bursts of mindless mirth.  Please follow the link to Daniel Salmieri's website embedded in his name to view more illustrations from this book.  In case you're interested this post was written while consuming not one, not two, not even three but five tacos. (The shells were tiny. Trust me.)

Bold Bushy Brainiacs Are Back

Every bird lover knows that next to birds nothing likes raiding the bird feeders more than squirrels. Author, Adam Rubin, and illustrator, Daniel Salmieri, each debuted into the world of children's books with Those Darn Squirrels (Clarion Books) in 2008.  The winning combination has returned with a worthy sequel, Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door (Clarion Books, May 2, 2011).

Old Man Fookwire, the epitome of grumpiness, still lives in a small aged house near a forest outside of town.  Earlier issues with the squirrels having been resolved, more to the satisfaction of the furry fiends than with Fookwire, manifest themselves in another form; invading his home during the cold days of winter.

They'd warm themselves by the fire and finish the old man's crossword puzzles....Then he'd shake his old-man fist and yell, "Those darn squirrels!"

Spring finally arrives bringing back Fookwire's beloved birds and he joyously begins painting them in earnest until---KABOOM!  KABLAM!  KABLOOEY!

Old Lady Hu, the town baker is moving in next door.  Sweetness defines her demeanor.  Wickedness defines her cat, Muffins.

She is oblivious to his deviousness.  When she delivers a tumbleberry pie to her neighbor, Old Man Fookwire, he hides behind the curtains, the squirrels hide in the drainpipes (cats scare them) and the birds hide in the chimney because everyone else is hiding.   Those darn squirrels hoover the pie and satiated scurry from the house only to be pounced upon by Muffins.

 Wet willies, noogies and wedgies are the new order of business for the squirrels, birds flee terrified and Old Man Fookwire's painting is disrupted.  The intrepid bushy-tailed, bouncing lovers of cheese puffs and ginger ale hatch a plan; a perfect plan.  And everyone lives happily ever after except the cat, that is.  For some reason Muffins never leaves the house next door again.

As he did in the first title, Daniel Salmieri using watercolor, gouache, and colored pencils, creatively compliments Rubin's hilarious narrative.  Skinny legged humans with exaggerated facial expressions that illuminate their respective personalities, scampy squirrels displaying ingenuity that trumps the wildest imagination, birds colored and shaped as if from a land of fairy, and a cat with a grin like "Jaws" provoke loads of laughs. 

You will never look at those darn squirrels in quite the same way again, ever.