With last week's snow slowly melting away...and leaving tons of mud behind, this seemed like a great book to pick up. Yep, the cover fit to my snuggle-in-front-of-the-fireplace mood. Plus, there's something magical about the scene, which might be due to the magical plot. This one swings around Mother Nature and her granddaughter. It's also the first in an adventure for beginning readers, who are sure of their words.
And that's all I know, right now. So, it's time to open it up and take a peek.
(Note: I'm adding this read to my possible favorites of 2025 list.)
SAM SQUIRREL
Willow's Woods
by Suzanne Selfors
Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki
Aladdin
Chapter Book
95 pages
ages 6 to 9
The great-granddaughter of Mother Nature teams up with a squirrel to start the spring season in this first book in the charmingly whimsical chapter book series from bestselling and award-winning author Suzanne Selfors.
Willow has agreed to house-sit while her grandmother, Mother Nature, is on vacation. Willow thinks it’s going to be as easy as watering a fern and feeding a cat, but when she arrives, she realizes her grandmother has left a long to-do list of difficult tasks like dusting the wings of a sleeping bat family, repairing the broken windows of a rabbit’s greenhouse, and ending winter.
Ending winter? In her eagerness to take a vacation, Mother Nature forgot to catch the unruly North Wind for its long nap. So, even though it’s the first day of spring, the entire land is covered in ice and snow. If the snow doesn’t melt, allowing the spring grass to grow, the critters of the Quiet Woods will surely go hungry.
With the help of Sam Squirrel and an elk prince named Errol, will Willow be able to catch the unruly North Wind to preserve the natural balance her grandmother entrusted her with?
Willow has agreed to house-sit while her grandmother, Mother Nature, is on vacation. Willow thinks it’s going to be as easy as watering a fern and feeding a cat, but when she arrives, she realizes her grandmother has left a long to-do list of difficult tasks like dusting the wings of a sleeping bat family, repairing the broken windows of a rabbit’s greenhouse, and ending winter.
Ending winter? In her eagerness to take a vacation, Mother Nature forgot to catch the unruly North Wind for its long nap. So, even though it’s the first day of spring, the entire land is covered in ice and snow. If the snow doesn’t melt, allowing the spring grass to grow, the critters of the Quiet Woods will surely go hungry.
With the help of Sam Squirrel and an elk prince named Errol, will Willow be able to catch the unruly North Wind to preserve the natural balance her grandmother entrusted her with?
MY TIDBITS
Adventure drives every moment forward, while weaving a snowy world full of delightful characters and many surprises.
Sam loves to make lists, which isn't a very squirrely thing to do (according to his father), but Sam just isn't into gathering and scurrying like the rest of his family. He does enjoy meeting Mother Nature every Spring, but this year, she doesn't arrive. The animals in the forest are running out of food, and so many other things can't happen until Spring arrives. Since Same is so good at lists, he's chosen to head out with the elk prince to try to find Mother Nature and save the forest.
Every page of this book grabs as Sam finds himself on a journey and mission far bigger than a little squirrel like him usually experiences. He starts out as a simple, young squirrel, who doesn't quite fit in with the rest of his family. They still love him...so this one is not about bullying (yay!). Instead, this is a magical adventure, which packs imagination, wonderful characters, tense moments, and hope. Although it's meant for those readers, who still need to practice their skills a little before heading into thicker novels, it's still a tale which draws in and leads the reader on a fantastic journey.
The author weaves in just enough description to add a playful touch to the world, gives the characters personality, and slides in mystery and tension, which fits nicely to the intended age group. There is danger and a sense of urgency, and yet, it stays fine for even more sensitive readers.
The word choice and sentence length is great for those readers, who know their words but still could use more time before moving on. The illustrations add fun and atmosphere, and let the characters come to life. Plus, there are some messages about being proud of your own, unique abilities as well as persistence and determination.
It's a fun read, and I'm looking forward to what adventures are still to come.
And here they are...
Suzanne Selfors is a bestselling author who lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest where rain falls like music and slugs frolic beneath ferns. She has a husband who works as a pilot, two grown-up kids, a rescue cat who was found living in a hole in a wall, and a nutty corgi named Fiona.
Ramona Kaulitzki has always spent her days doing something creative, from sewing to photography, but her biggest passion has always been drawing and storytelling. She is the illustrator of many picture books, including Bravo, Little Bird! by Annie Silvestro, The Christmas Owl by Gideon Sterer and Ellen Kalish, and the #1 New York Times bestseller Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush. Born and raised in a small city in Germany, Ramona enjoys riding horses. Her love for animals, and for nature, is a major inspiration for her work. Her illustrations are created digitally, but she also enjoys drawing and painting with traditional media. Visit her at RamonaKaulitzkiArt.com.
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