Bird & Squirrel on the Run! (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Bird & Squirrel on the Run! Jeannette Hulick Burks, James . Bird & Squirrel on the Run!; written and illus. by James Burks. Graphix/Scholastic, 2012. [128p]. Paper ed. ISBN 978-0-545-31283-7 $8.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 2-4. In this full-color graphic novel, brave Bird and timid Squirrel join forces to head south for the winter after Squirrel loses his entire winter cache of nuts in an attempt to rescue Bird from the predatory Cat. Excitement ensues on their migratory journey as the duo faces a waterfall, a storm, angry bees, a snake, and a hawk, not to mention the Wile E. Coyote-like Cat, who keeps coming back for more even though he always gets the worst of it. Happily, the pair safely make it to their southern destination; what's more, the trip has apparently awakened their thirst for adventure, and the book ends with them taking off into "the great unknown." There's little substance or surprise to Burks' plot, but Bird and Squirrel are engaging partners, the persistent but continually thwarted Cat is both alarming and amusing, and the Looney Tunes-esque action is lively and quick. Burks' comic-strip-like panels utilize zesty colors, bold compositions, and varying perspectives to create plenty of visual interest. Blocky yellow Bird is as perky as his perpetually raised eyebrows and jaunty head feathers suggest, while square-headed, buck-toothed, blue Squirrel seems constantly worried (frequently with good reason) and keeps his acorn-cap helmet on at all times. With his lime-green eyes and enormous, toothy mouth, bulky orange Cat looks quite menacing, but he becomes increasingly bedraggled, and thus less threatening, as the book goes on. Older fans of Owly and Wormy (BCCB 3/11) might want to give this comical couple a try. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois