Readers will find a lively introduction to one of nature's most energetic creatures in Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep. The book offers young readers a brisk tour through the everyday habits and adaptations of squirrels as well as a playful glimpse into the variety of species children might encounter in backyards and forests. First published in 2016, the book is newly circulating again, and its return feels especially poignant given the 2021 deaths of both its author, April Pulley Sayre (Raindrops Roll), and its Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator, Steve Jenkins (Tiny Monsters and What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? with Robin Page).
Squirrels are familiar sights to most children, yet their busy lives often go unnoticed, a gap this book helps to fill. Sayre writes in her trademark spare, rhyming style, marked by short, rhythmic bursts and an alternating rhyme pattern that gives the text a pleasing bounce: "Squirrels stretch./ Squirrels yawn./ Munch the acorns./ Are they gone?" The approach keeps the narrative light while weaving in factual content about how squirrels feed, defend themselves, prepare for the seasons, and more. Children will also encounter four different kinds of squirrels (the eastern gray, the eastern fox, the American red, and a flying squirrel), broadening their sense of the animal's diversity.
Jenkins's newly remastered cut-and-torn-paper collages bring texture and an earthy warmth to the pages. Broad green landscapes stretch across spreads, while smaller circular vignettes zoom in on key details. One example depicts a squirrel peering straight at readers ("Eyes for looking/ back at you"), with adjacent spots showing the same animal sniffing and chewing. The compositions feel active and varied, matching the energy of Sayre's clipped verse. Back matter, updated in this edition, expands the book's reach: children learn how squirrels scatter and bury acorns, sometimes sprouting new trees. Practical tips emphasize planting trees, the "best bird and squirrel houses and feeders." A list of sources and suggestions for further reading extends the book's usefulness in elementary classrooms and libraries. The final spread, "Squirrels sleep," shows a squirrel curled in its nest, giving the book a cozy close that also makes it a natural bedtime choice for caregivers. Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep succeeds as an accessible and engaging primer on one of the most familiar backyard creatures and teachers, librarians, and young naturalists alike will likely find it a charming celebration of the squirrel's world. --Julie Danielson
Shelf Talker: With playful rhyme and textured illustrations, this updated reissue of Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep makes the familiar lives of squirrels fascinating for children.