Revver the Speedway Squirrel

by Sherri Duskey Rinker, Alex Willan (Illustrator)

Overview

The author of the bestselling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site picture books makes her middle grade debut in this utterly delightful, illustrated series perfect for fans of Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

Meet Revver: a little squirrel with big dreams . . . to drive a race car! His siblings might not understand his need for speed, but Revver doesn't care. And he certainly doesn't care about looking for food, climbing trees, or any other "ordinary" squirrel activity. He spends his days staring at the racetrack just below his nest, where the cars zoom by day in and day out.

When Revver finally gets the chance to sneak out to the track, he finds that becoming part of the pit crew is more difficult than he expected. He never learned anything about engines in Squirrel School! Then Revver meets tire changer Bill, who luckily has a soft spot for animals. Can Revver prove to Bill that he deserves to be part of the team?

Perfect for fans of Ralph S. Mouse, Revver the Speedway Squirrel is a funny, action-packed, and heartwarming story about family, feeling different, and following your heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547607532
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	11/09/2021
Series:	Revver the Speedway Squirrel
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	852,582
Product dimensions:	5.57(w) x 8.16(h) x 0.66(d)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Sherri Duskey Rinker is the author of #1 New York Times bestsellers Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site; Mighty, Mighty Construction Site; Construction Site on Christmas Night; and Steam Train, Dream Train. She loves cooking, gardening, and old oil paintings. Revver was inspired by Sherri's husband (who took her to watch sprint car racing on one of their first dates), her brilliant-but-impulsive oldest son, and her kart-racing, speed-obsessed youngest son.
sherriduskeyrinker.com
@sherririnker

Alex Willan the author and illustrator of Unicorns are the Worst and the Jasper & Ollie series. He grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where he was seldom seen without his sketchbook in hand. His love of drawing led him to earn a BFA in illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. Alex has exhibited in art galleries and has painted murals, theater sets, and squirmy kids' faces, but his true love has always been children's books. He lives in Chicago with his dog, Harley.
alexwillan.com
@alexwillan

Editorial Reviews

This warm, funny, and action-packed tale stars Revver, an endearing squirrel with big dreams and an even bigger heart. Perfect for a family or classroom read-aloud, don't miss this sure-fire crowd-pleaser. I love this little squirrel!” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award winning author of THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN

“Expressive illustrations, near disasters, and gags with Revver's brother Farty (also aptly named) sustain the light adventure. . . For budding race-car enthusiasts and readers who've ever felt they learn differently.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Spry cartoons by Willan. . . comically capture Revver's spunk . . . Sweet.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

07/27/2020

The author of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and its offshoots makes her middle grade debut in this series launch introducing a squirrel mesmerized by the zooming vehicles populating the racetrack below his family nest. Despite Revver’s need for speed, the story gets off to a poky start, given undue repetition of that fact as well as lengthy dialogue that establishes the squirrel siblings’ personalities. Only insightful Sprite—the sole female sibling, saddled alongside their mother with emotional labor in the form of caretaking and peacemaking—encourages her brother to pursue his dream of joining the human-only speedway pit crew, while constantly-in-motion Bounce and incessant eater Farty spend their days living up to their monikers. With a boost from spry cartoons by Willan (the Jasper & Ollie series), which comically capture Revver’s spunk, the novel’s pace picks up after he ventures into the track, where he befriends the mixed-gender pit crew and learns the mechanics of car racing. There he at last feels understood, learns the importance of teamwork and the value of family, and—after his curiosity and impulsiveness recurrently trigger mayhem—uses life lessons he’s absorbed to save the day. A sweet if sometimes overly descriptive tale. Ages 8–11. Author’s agent: Lori Kilkelly, LK Literary. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

2020-06-16
A squirrel car-racing fan becomes part of a pit crew.

Growing up in a tree overlooking a racetrack, a young squirrel has become fascinated with the speeding cars and the sound of their engines. Although aptly named Revver, he has trouble paying attention when his mother tries to convey the critical skills that he, his sister, and two brothers will need to know when they leave their nest. As he questions his talents within the traditional learning environment, his engineering and speed experiments in this opening section of the novel help keep the episodic chapters quick and lively. When the siblings scatter in different directions on their 50th day of life, Revver heads to the racetrack. After Bill, one of the crew mechanics, realizes that the observant squirrel in his garage can understand him, he teaches Revver different parts of the car and how they work in short passages with plenty of details. Finally the squirrel thrives, realizing his true gifts and even joining the pit crew, and he puts his skills to the test when his sister’s life and a race-day repair are on the line. Expressive illustrations, near disasters, and gags with Revver’s brother Farty (also aptly named) sustain the light adventure. While Revver’s mother and sister assume stereotypical gender roles, the pit crew includes multiple women mechanics. Humans seem to be default white.

For budding race-car enthusiasts and readers who’ve ever felt they learn differently. (Fantasy. 8-11)

Kirkus Reviews