The Big Squirrel and the Little Rhinoceros - Hardcover

Mischa Damjan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1558581170 ISBN 13: 9781558581173

Publisher: North-South Books, 1991

Synopsis

A squirrel, a mouse, and a frog want to be bigger than their enemies so that they can get even with them but each of the animals soon finds that changing sizes does not make life easier.

About this title

About the Authors

Damjan is the pen name of the late Dimitrije Sidjanski, the co-founder of North-South Books. He studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and began to practice law. During World War II he was taken prisoner by the German army. After three years in captivity, he escaped to Switzerland.

Hans de Beer was born in Muiden, a small town near Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. He studied illustration at the Rietveld Academy of Art in Amsterdam. Hans de Beer's Little Polar Bear books enjoy great international success. They have been published in 18

Lenny Hort, author of ""How Many Stars in the Sky?"" and ""Tie Your Sock and Clap Your Feet: Mixed-up Poems"" (Atheneum), lives in Fort Lee, NJ.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 1-- This Swiss import uses the theme of ``walk a mile in my shoes'' to teach humility. In the ``Land of a Thousand Shadows,'' a rhinoceros, a lion, and a crocodile lord their strength over smaller creatures. A squirrel topples out of a tree the rhino has whammed into; a mouse is frightened by the lion's roar; a frog loses its chance to catch a fly because of the crocodile's teeth gnashing. The three dream of becoming larger to get even with their foes; at dawn, the six main animals have magically exchanged sizes. The tiny rhino, lion, and crocodile are duly humbled, but real surprises await the now-larger creatures. By nightfall, all have agreed that a return to their original sizes and a new policy of courteous behavior make more sense. In this oversized book, each spread includes a full-page, full-color painting, plus smaller scenes. The watercolors and pen-and-ink media used by Dutch artist de Beer produce realistic scenes with expressive, sometimes whimsical, characters. A first purchase this is not, but it does succeed as a gentle tale with a message. --Jacqueline Elsner, Athens Regional Library, GA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In the Land of a Thousand Shadows, the credo appears to be "bigger is better." A charging rhinoceros, a roaring lion and a teeth - gnashing crocodile cause great distress for the smaller animals with whom they must live. Eager to get even with their inconsiderate neighbors, a squirrel, a mouse and a frog wish to become big. After a magical, chaotic switch, the giant squirrel has trouble climbing trees and finding a "few hundred pounds of acorns" to fill his newly huge belly. Meanwhile, the rhinoceros is humbled by being made small. Once the animals "promise to be good friends," they return to their appropriate sizes. Although Damjan's text is somewhat didactic, the comical plot situations brighten this tale. De Beer's ( Little Polar Bear ) creatures have enormously expressive eyes that winsomely portray the dismay of their predicaments. The animals' size switch also allows for a pleasing variety of perspectives in the artwork. Youngsters will be reassured by the eventual triumph of compromise. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Another heavy-handed European fable: tired of injuries carelessly inflicted by the larger animals, three small protesters wish for, and get, a size reversal. It doesn't work: the giant squirrel breaks branches and can't find enough acorns, the mouse doesn't fit in her burrow; meanwhile, the lion is reduced to eating grass, and the crocodile is afraid the fish will eat him. Agreeing to be kinder, all revert to their former sizes and ``have lived in peace and friendship ever since.'' A wistful thought--accompanied by de Beer's deftly drawn, amusing illustrations. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: North-South Books
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1558581170
• ISBN 13: 9781558581173
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Hans De Beer
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32