“Those Darn Squirrels!”
By Adam Rubin; Clarion Books, 32 pages
So, the other day I was watching a couple of squirrels eating sunflower seeds from our John Deere bird feeder (yes, it’s green and yellow), and I just had to laugh.
No sooner do I fill the feeder than these chattering, bushy-tailed rodents run down from their tree-top perch, climb up the pole, and gorge themselves on food intended for my feathered friends. But instead of getting mad at them, I usually find myself laughing at their hijinks. Nothing is more determined than a hungry squirrel.Watching the squirrels reminded me of one of my favorite picture books, “Those Darn Squirrels!” by Adam Rubin. While I may be amused by squirrel antics, Old Man Fookwire, the story’s protagonist, is not. In fact, he hates squirrels — along with pie and puppies. He’s also so old that dust comes out of his nose when he sneezes.
The only thing he likes is birds. It doesn’t matter if it’s a whirley bird, a bonga bird, or a floogle bird: he likes them all. One autumn he decides to feed the birds so that they will stick around a little longer before flying south for the winter.
Brilliant idea! Until the darn squirrels show up and start eating all the bird food. Curses!
