by Matthew Cordell (Author)
A picture book by Caldecott medal winner Matt Cordell about a timid squirrel who makes a brave journey to help a relative who is ill.
Evergreen the squirrel is afraid of many things: thunder, hawks, and the dark paths of Buckthorn Forest. But when her mother tasks Evergreen with delivering soup to her sick Granny Oak, the little squirrel must face her fears and make the journey. Along the way, Evergreen is met by other forest dwellers - some want to help her, but some want her mother's delicious soup! It's up to Evergreen to stay the course, and those who help her will surprise and delight young readers.
Using an art style reminiscent of the work of William Steig and Arnold Lobel, Matthew Cordell creates a classic tale of bravery and love.
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This action-packed forest marathon from Cordell (Cornbread and Poppy), which reads like a "Little Red Riding Hood" remix, stars oft-terrified squirrel Evergreen, sent by her mother through Buckthorn Forest to take Granny Oak a neat acorn's worth of healing soup. A wide-eyed rodent in a worn red shawl (a nod, perhaps, to her folktale forebearer), Evergreen generally hides "behind the closed curtains of a bedroom window," dreading so many things that "it would take far too long to list them all." Though a forest-wide trip intimidates her, her mother reassures her that she can do it, and she sets out. Across the book's six parts, Evergreen frees a rabbit named Briar, is carried off by a hawk called Ember, and hinders would-be soup thieves of all kinds--and that's just for starters. Cordell's dense, scribbly ink hatching and watercolor washes are fittingly deployed throughout, portraying animalian feathers and fur alongside soft, earthen growing things. Vignettes framed in twisted driftwood lend notes of old-fashioned charm that temper loud noises ("GRRROOOAAARRR!") and unexpected encounters. The contrast between Evergreen's own self-doubt and the way she shines under pressure is conveyed with humor and skill in this adventuresome allegory about confronting the world outside as well as one's own very real fears. Ages 2-5. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (Feb.)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.K-Gr 2--There is something familiar about Cordell's book, and not just the style of art--sketchy line work, with warm earth tones washed over them--but the modern play with story and design broken up into digestible, short chapters, each reading like an Aesop-vignette where Evergreen, the squirrel we follow through Buckthorn Forrest, faces a scary obstacle she must overcome. With each chapter, Evergreen grows more confident, so that by the end, she is better able to predict and prepare for all possibilities. The interior pages start out looking like a chapter book, but the text is broken with exciting spreads, graphic novel--style layouts, and playfully illustrated text. These design decisions make this book feel new and familiar--a classic readers will be talking about in the future. VERDICT Cordell never disappoints and never fails to surprise readers with his evergreen ability to take a story and make it feel fresh and timeless in one go.--Jessica Schriver
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.