The Secret Life of Squirrels: Back to School!

by Nancy Rose

Overview

Get ready for the first day of school in this fourth book in the popular series featuring photographs of wild squirrels!

Mr. Peanuts' teacher friend Rosie needs help preparing for the first day of school! The two squirrels go shopping for school supplies, set up the library and music corners, bring all the sports equipment out to the blacktop, and decorate the classroom. Mr. Peanuts even practices driving the school bus! But it's not easy to be a teacher getting ready for a whole classroom of new faces. Will Mr. Peanuts and Rosie be able to pull together the room before the end of summer?

Nancy Rose brings this back-to-school story to life with her adorable photographs of real wild squirrels in handcrafted, homemade miniature settings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316506212
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	07/17/2018
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	366,774
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Nancy Rose is a photographer living in Canada. Her popular photos of wild squirrels in handcrafted settings, taken in her backyard, have attracted a wide following on Flickr, and have been featured in the Washington Post, the London Times, and Buzzfeed, among many others. She is the author of The Secret Life of Squirrels, Merry Christmas, Squirrels!, and The Secret Life of Squirrels: A Love Story.

Editorial Reviews

06/04/2018
Rose, whose staged squirrel photographs first gained popularity through social media, offers her fourth outing to feature furry backyard visitors. Mr. Peanuts, a school bus driver, and Rosie, a teacher, are preparing for the school year. In Rosie’s classroom, the two unpack books, hang a welcome banner, post classroom rules, and set up the art corner. The story’s allure lies in the squirrels’ seemingly natural presence within the carefully constructed miniature scenes—an effect achieved, an appended note explains, “by hiding peanuts in and around the props.” Ages 4–8. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Secret Life of Squirrels: Back to School:
"Adorable squirrels give readers a peek at how teachers spend their time getting ready for their students."—Kirkus Reviews

"The story's allure lies in the squirrels' seemingly natural presence within the carefully constructed miniature scenes."—Booklist

"This is a tale of busy bushy-tails, an invitation to conversation about the start of the school year or first experiences, and a suggested general purchase for libraries with young animal lovers."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

08/01/2018
PreS-Gr 1—Fans of the previous books in the series may once again follow the busy antics of the squirrels through the author's inventive photography, as the squirrels investigate and play with tiny objects—a new set featuring the Sunnywood Education Center, a yellow school bus, and a "Squirrel X-ing" zone. Young readers watch as Rosie, Mr. Peanuts, Mr. Chipper, and their friends prepare for the first day of school. Photo images feature squirrels as they fill carts to buy school supplies, unpack books, set up a classroom, organize and clean up craft supplies, try out music instruments, test out the playground, check out the bus route, and prepare supplies for a garden or first aid kit. VERDICT This is a tale of busy bushy-tails, an invitation to conversation about the start of the school year or first experiences, and a suggested general purchase for libraries with young animal lovers.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

School Library Journal

2018-05-14
The latest in Rose's series snaps her backyard squirrels (and one chipmunk) against school backdrops. The animals will be the big draw for readers: Who could resist two squirrels shopping for school supplies while pushing a tiny grocery cart? Or the pair at the picnic table nibbling peanuts in front of the swings and slide on the playground? (The author's note will be of particular interest to readers who are curious how Rose captured these photos.) The story that goes with the pics tells of Rosie, a teacher, and her friend Mr. Peanuts as they spend the day before school starts getting ready for the year. They unpack the classroom library, set up the art corner, and decorate the classroom with a banner and the rules. Mr. Peanuts helps Mr. Chipper, the gym teacher, with his equipment and then practices driving his bus route. Rosie tidies the garden and visits with a fellow teacher. Told from a third-person point of view with dialogue from the characters, the story is no great shakes (though it does accurately reflect how teachers get ready for school), but the pics are really the point, and readers will both pore over them and attempt their own scene setting and camerawork. Adorable squirrels give readers a peek at how teachers spend their time getting ready for their students. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews