Squirrel in the House - (Twitch the Squirrel) by Vivian Vande Velde (Paperback)

About the Book

A gleefully oblivious squirrel narrates this rib-tickling chapter book about how he turns a family get-together upside-down. Illustrations.

Book Synopsis

Squirrel hates to miss a party--whether or not he's been invited.

So one cold day he decides to visit Cuddles the dog inside his house. He slides down the special squirrel entrance into a pile of cut-up tree branches (how thoughtful the humans are!), takes some of the food they've clearly made for him, and buries it in the pots of dirt they've left out. What a warm welcome!

But when Cuddles catches sight of him and mayhem erupts, the smallest of the humans takes the blame for causing trouble. No one but Twitch the squirrel notices when the boy runs out into the snow. . . Or when he trips and hurts his ankle.

Can the dog and squirrel put aside their differences, and figure out how to let the humans know their littlest one needs help? And is there more of that party food to celebrate with after?

With short, funny chapters and lively pen-and-ink illustrations, the Twitch the Squirrel books are perfect to share and read aloud, or for young readers beginning to seek out longer books on their own. Told from the animals' point of view, they make a great introduction to narrative perspective--and most importantly, they're always hilarious.

For more of Twitch's adventures, check out 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos and Squirrel in the Museum.

Review Quotes

"Vande Velde does a great job of realistically bringing to life the personalities of these two squabbling animals. . . . This is a story young readers will love."--School Library Journal

"Short chapters illustrated with pen-and-ink line drawings add to the appeal. Delightfully nutty chapter-book fare."--Kirkus Reviews

"appealingly sassy and humorous."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

About the Author

Vivian Vande Velde is the Edgar-winning author of more than twenty books for children and young adults, including many ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Her 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos was nominated for seven state awards. She lives in Rochester, New York. You can visit her website at www.vivianvandevelde.com.

Steve Björkman has illustrated more than seventy books for children, including many that he also wrote. He lives in Aliso Viejo, California. His website is www.stevebjorkman.com.