The Tale of a No-Name Squirrel
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Solve riddles with Squirrel as he travels to the walled city of bees, the fireless tea plantation of mice, and treacherous desert full of tricksters in this beautifully written and creative debut adventure.
Squirrel never expected to be anything other than a slave: the last animal slave in Bimmau. That is, until he is invited to a high profile wedding and takes a sip of the forbidden ceremonial wine, unlocking a mysterious riddle. The riddle reveals that there is a key which has the power to grant Squirrel his freedom (and a name!), but also could enslave anyone in Bimmau. Disastrous if it falls into the wrong hands! Squirrel and his friends find themselves in a race to find Brittle’s Key before the army of crows gets to him…and before the mysterious Colonel finds the key first.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Originally published in India as The PetPost Secret, Dhariwal's intriguing but convoluted debut opens as a sinister cloaked cat, the Colonel, murders his former mentor in pursuit of the key needed to read the mysterious Map of Brittle. The action then switches to Squirrel, a message-delivering slave in this world of animals, whose fate changes when he drinks a glass of forbidden wine. With the help of his friends, Squirrel learns that the key to the Map of Brittle is locked away in his mind and can be freed only by drinking a series of elixirs. As the animals unravel the clues that lead them to each drink, they are pursued by the Kowas, assassin crows working for the Colonel. Whoever gets the key and map first has the power to be free of slavery, which Squirrel longs for, but in the wrong hands they could be used to enslave everyone. The plot can feel Byzantine and some of the worldbuilding details are corny, but the story is filled with action and twists as it explores friendship, family, and individuality. Benjaminsen's handsome charcoal portraits further flesh out Dhariwal's world. Ages 8 12.
