*Never Trust a Squirrel by Patrick Cooper (1998) is a classic tale of a little creature, this time a guinea pig, venturing out into the world. A squirrel coaxes William out of his hutch to play. Despite his mother’s warnings, William tries playing games with the squirrel until a fox appears. The squirrel runs away up a tree and leaves William to fend for himself. His mother saves the day. Catherine Walters's pictures are perfect and the reason I made this one of my favorites. The scenery is full of wild flowers. The simple, furry faces of the squirrel and guinea pigs have expressions. The squirrel sticks its tongue out at the mother guinea pig as it scampers off with her son! A scene with the fox is truly frightening.
