Welcome, Little Squirrel

WELCOME, LITTLE SQUIRREL is a cute picture book about finding home. Hazelnut had prepared her tree for winter, but disaster strikes when beavers take it down for their dam. Hazelnut sets out on a journey to find a new home and tries to fit in with other animals, including beavers and bats. However, none of their rules and lives feel quite right - until she finds some other squirrels.

What I loved: The illustrations are quite vivid and lovely with a lot of detail and expressive characters. There is a good variety of animals along the way, and they are all very kind and inviting to Hazelnut, as she makes a lot of friends on her journey. The lessons that each animal has are cute and add a bit of extra fun. Kindness from the other animals was a thread throughout the story as they all welcome her and try to help her feel at home.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the text was a bit long with paragraphs on each page. The story may work best for older picture book readers who do not mind the level of detail. The lesson of the story also felt a bit odd, as Hazelnut ultimately seems to learn that she needs to be with her own kind, even when other animals were kind and welcoming to her. It was a bit unclear that the message was about being a good neighbor.

Final verdict: WELCOME, LITTLE SQUIRREL is a cute picture book about finding a place to call home and being a neighbor. This may work best for older picture book readers.

When the beavers accidentally chop down the tree with Hazelnut the squirrel's home, they offer her a place to stay for the winter. Hazelnut appreciates the offer, but a few days in the wet river tell her she's not cut out for being a beaver, so she begins wandering in search of place to stay. Thankfully her many neighbors are eager to help, and at long last, Hazelnut finds a place where she can be herself.

This is a fun little woodland story, with the cadence of a fable as Hazelnut moves from one home to another. The bats are nice, but Hazelnut isn't made to hang upside down, and on it goes, until she finds the home that's just right for her. Fall and winter colors offer a pretty backdrop to her journey and the variety of cute, wide-eyed creatures along her way, including beavers, birds, hedgehogs, and more.

Readers will enjoy a story of one determined squirrel, helpful neighbors, and the lesson that kindness begets kindness, it's okay for sometimes feel like a fish out of water, and there's a place in the world for everyone.

Hazelnut is living in a tree ahead of winter's arrival, but when her tree is felled by beavers, poor Hazelnut is left homeless. As she travels through the forest searching for a new home, she finds that many of her neighbors are happy to let her stay. However, they face many different challenges and Hazelnut does not fit in. Will she find a new home?
What I Liked: I adored the pictures, they really showed Hazelnut's distress. I liked the idea that while people may be kind, that sometimes we need to find the place that is right for us. Hazelnut was a sympathetic character and I feel that children will like her and be eager to see how her journey ends.
What Left Me Wanting More: Not much, I liked the various animals shown and how the reader learns how they live in the forest. I would have enjoyed learning about more animals, but it was a good story overall.
Final Verdict: An enjoyable tale that will hold children's attention as they wait to find out what happens to the main character. Well written and with bright, eye catching illustrations. Highly recommended.