Welcome to the first in a series of book reviews which I call "Books That are not Worth Reviewing".
The Squirrel Twins' Ride is the tale of two young squirrels - Chipper and Chatter - as they attempt to make their way through a cold and unforgiving world. They have been left alone while their parents travel to visit relatives. One day they receive a letter inviting them to rejoin their parents, and they eventually find themselves on a train, attempting to reach the house of their Aunt Maria. Unfortunately, they don't know where she lives, they have no tickets and presumably no money to buy them with anyway. It is unclear how they have been able to meet the basic requirements of survival, or who has been keeping their beanie hats spinning this whole time.
On the train, the gruff Conductor and the thrifty Mrs. Mouse are their only source of hope, as they travel from town to town, hoping for a furtive glance of a place to call home. At each stop, the Conductor asks if anyone is looking for two squirrels. It's clear that the Conductor cares only for himself and the duties of his position. He is desperate to unload the twins on the first owl, frog or turtle that will have them.
The conclusion of the book and its bittersweet family reunion is short and to the point.
Published in 1968 by Rand McNally as part of the 'Tiny Elf Library', it's evident that no one expected this book to survive until 2010. The binding is cheap and the pages are yellowed. We happened to find it at a library book sale a few years ago, and it's been a popular item ever since - mostly because the story is so bizarre.
The book is written by Duncan Jury and illustrated by Eleanor Corwin. Corwin will appear again in future book review. This might be the only book published by Duncan Jury, and it's not hard to see why. It doesn't make any sense at all!
The book is short so I have scanned it in and you can view it here. I don't have a lot of interest in violating any copyright, so if someone wants me to take it down, just let me know and I will.
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| Squirrel Twins' Ride |
Comments
The Squirrel Twins' Ride
I had to laugh (good naturedly, let me quickly add) at your comments. This book was my daughter's absolute favorite way-back-when (1971 or so). She wanted me to read it to her every night. I think she liked the way I did all the voices. I never thought about the twins having been abandoned but I suppose you could look at it that way! I hung onto the book as a memento and she has it now.
Thanks! My son loved this
Thanks! My son loved this book as well, the voices of the squirrels were critical. I've read it so much that I've invented all sorts of stories about what happened.
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