27 Jun Book Review: This Is a (Squirrel) TACO!
This Is a Squirrel TACO! by Andrew Cangelose, illustrated by Josh Shipley
When you look at the cover of This Is a Squirrel TACO! you can tell what the book will be like. The side eyed squirrel chomping on a taco with a wide red marker in hand sets the book up perfectly.
Basic facts about squirrels are on the left side, and on each page, we see the squirrel crossing off, disagreeing with, or making other comments about them. Clearly, the squirrel only agreed to be in this book because there would be tacos, and relentlessly reminds us of tacos. When the book gets a little too real about the danger of hawks, changing the book with the red marker is the only way to escape.
Then the squirrel thinks of a way to get tacos after all.
This book is funny and fun to read out loud switching between a documentary-style voice and a sarcastic voice. It’s great for a two-person team of readers.
And like many seemingly subversive stories, the underlying message is right there too, when the squirrel says at the end, “Kids, remember: if you want tacos in your story, then YOU make sure there are tacos in your story.”
Written by Jan O., Youth Services Librarian
