Those Darn Squirrels!

Added to the library in honor of the birth of Cole Joseph Kawecki. Children's Literature: Old Man Fookwire is a grump. The only things he likes are birds. Knowing he will be lonely when they fly south for the winter, he fills many birdfeeders in hopes that they will stay. Unfortunately for him, he has underestimated the cleverness of squirrels. No matter what he tries, the squirrels manage to get the food. The birds leave. The squirrels then feel sorry for the angry and lonely Fookwire. From the many objects they have collected, they make him a gift that cheers him at last, for a happy ending. Fookwire is an odd-looking fellow with a long neck, pointed nose and skinny arms and legs; the squirrels are equally comic. They all live in a relatively barren, surreal world, in which the wild constructions of man and animals stand out clearly. Salmieri's watercolor, gouache and colored-pencil illustrations are comically inventive, particularly when depicting the busy squirrels. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz