ACORNS EVERYWHERE!

Sherry forgoes his signature squid, introduced in I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean (2007), for an outrageous squirrel and its acorn obsession. To a mantra of “gather, dig, bury,” the frantic rodent collects all possible nuts, his diminutive arms yanking the food from the bird and mice nearby. As astute onlookers observe, the gatherer misplaces his buried bounty, but a rumbling forest giant provides an unlikely treasure for the forgetful forager. Repetitive phrases move the spare narrative along; the minimal text gives space for the purposeful cartoons to tell the tale. Pacing builds to a genuinely funny if entirely predictable—to squirrel behaviorists, anyway—conclusion. Cut-paper and collaged photograph accents present a striking focal point against a mostly sky-blue watercolor backdrop for the solid landscape. Bold, black lines and solid colors suit the stocky scavenger’s frenzied attitude. His tiny pupils accentuate each wide-eyed expression, his single white tooth a glaring contrast to his orange face. Each upright character is disproportionately featured, maintaining the focus on the zany antics. A light forest romp. (Picture book. 3-7)