The Bad Day

Squirrel is convinced he’s going to have a wonderful day, for there up in the tree in front of him hanging from a branch, is a large acorn ripe and ready for the taking. That sense of well being quickly dissipates however as the bushy-tailed narrator realises that he’s stuck with the desired object tantalisingly just out of his reach.

Squirrel however is not the only animal having a rotten day. Snake has tied itself in knots, Tortoise is flat on its back, Fox has a dreadful stomach ache and as for Mouse, the little creature is in a very dark hole that’s scary and smelly. When the other animals realise that Mouse’s plight is the worst of all they decide that teamwork of a very clever kind will be required to save their little pal. In so doing they might just succeed in pulling off a tricky rescue and in so doing turn this bad day around.

The author has woven a thoroughly enjoyable rhyming fable-like tale that entertains and gently delivers a lesson in the power of cooperation. Her richly coloured, textured scenes – large and small – enhance the telling. Particularly effective is the four-panel sequence showing Squirrel’s rescue after which children will eagerly anticipate the outcome of the fluffy tail flicking on the narrator’s part.