Squeakers

Some of my fondest reading memories from my childhood are the beautifully written and exquisitely illustrated Serendipity Collection by Stephen Cosgrove, and illustrated by Robin James.  I had quite a few of these as a child (at least a dozen) and I believe they are no longer readable due to age and water damage in my parents' basement.  So, I have found a few here and there, and am building my daughter's own collection.  She adores looking at the beautiful drawings in each one, and I am thoroughly impressed with the moral and social lessons taught in each story.

Tonight we read Squeakers, which was one book I did not have as a child.  It tells the story of a very conniving mole, who tempts a young squirrel with treats, in order to steal fur from his tail.  It is told in a very gentle manner, but the point is very strong: you never let someone touch you or hurt you, even if they are an elder, whom you are taught to respect and obey.  I have not done very much teaching on this subject, as I did not feel my daughter was old enough to understand yet, but she was fascinated by the story and had lots of questions about why the squirrel was sad, and why he should have told his parents about the mole.

Although it breaks my heart that this matter would even need to be broached, I am thankful to have a story which discusses it so beautifully and appropriately.  I highly recommend the Serendipity series.