PreSchool-Grade 2–A posthumous publication of a manu* by the creator of Corduroy (Viking, 1968). Earl's mother thinks that his friend Jill (a little girl) is spoiling her son when she gives him an acorn, a nutcracker, and her doll's red scarf, so Earl sets out to prove that he can find acorns on his own. The red scarf becomes a sack, a hat, and a bullfighter's cape, and the young squirrel comes back with a harvest of acorns and returns the scarf. The scarlet scarf leaps out of Freeman's otherwise black-and-white scratchboard illustrations. The pictures are full of energy and detail, and Earl is both cheeky and endearing. Kids will laugh when Conrad the bull gets stuck in the tree as Earl indignantly and fearlessly snatches the precious scarf from his horns, only to be plonked on the head by an acorn. The story is gentle, innocent, and funny, and although it was written many years ago, Freeman's ability to capture the artless adventures of childhood is of the moment.–Jane Barrer, formerly at Washington Square Village Creative Steps, New York City
From Booklist PreS-K. Earl is a young squirrel who has become dependent on the kindness of a girl who lives nearby. Instructed by his mother to hunt for acorns, he goes to visit his human friend and returns with an acorn--and a nutcracker. Chided at home, Earl soon ventures out on his own, wearing a red scarf his friend has knitted. His quest for nuts turns into a contest with a bull, but he succeeds in spectacular fashion. It's only natural that this picture book has a certain vintage tone and look. Its author-illustrator is the same Don Freeman (1908-1978) whose best picture books, such as Beady Bear and Corduroy, appeared in the 1950s and 1960s. The scratchboard artwork, particularly effective in the night scenes, pictures Earl's adventures in black and white with one colorful element: the scarlet scarf. Published for the first time,^B this picture book will please those who enjoy the innocent air and now-retro look of Freeman's work. Carolyn Phelan.
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