Squirrels Scamper

Outside Our Window

by Mélina Mangal, Stella Lim (illustrator)

Awaken young children to the purposeful movement of squirrels and their own sense of work and play
In Squirrels Scamper, two young children―Kamali and Josiah―step outside to discover the busy world of squirrels in their own backyard. As they watch the squirrels scamper, climb, and jump through the crisp autumn air, the children join in the fun―testing their own balance and agility as they mimic the squirrels’ playful movements. Whether gathering twigs for their nests or searching for acorns, the squirrels are always on the move, and so are the children! After a day of joyful exploration and teamwork, including raking leaves and diving into leaf piles, the children realize that, like the squirrels, we too spend our days working and playing, celebrating the harmony of nature and the rhythm of life.

Squirrels Scamper
Shows that children can connect with nature and its important lessons no matter where they live
Engages young children in reflecting on the natural world
Includes activity ideas to engage children in learning about squirrels in their own neighborhoods
This book is part of the Outside Our Window Board Books series, which encourages children―especially those in urban neighborhoods―to explore, protect, and delight in nature. Each book in the series focuses on one feature of the natural world (like birds), one sense (hearing), and one social or emotional learning skill (communication). The books emphasize community and encourage children and families to explore the natural world around them.

Genres: Childrens

24 pages, Board Book

Published August 26, 2025

About the author

Mélina Mangal writes picture books, biographies, and short stories that focus on connections with nature and culture. She is the author of The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just, winner of the Carter G. Woodson Award, Jayden’s Impossible Garden, named One of the Best Children's Books of the Year by Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature, and the sequel, Jayden’s Secret Ingredient. Her latest YA short story appears in Boundless: Twenty Voices Celebrating Multicultural and Multiracial Identities. Mélina also works as a school library media teacher in Minneapolis, spreading book love daily.

Reviews

[er · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Free spirit Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read this as an arc.

Squirrels Scamper is the third installment in the Outside Our Window series, this time the two children step outside to discover the world of squirrels. The series focuses on how children can connect with nature even while living in a city.

This book is perfect even for really young children, it's definitely created with toddlers in mind. The illustrations are beautiful, simple but perfect for the story. I loved the additional facts at the end of the book, really interesting and helpful to further help the children in our lives in their journey to discover nature!

[Ollie Skyba · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was invited to read another book by Mélina Mangal — Squirrels Scamper, again beautifully illustrated by Stella Lim.
The same pair of children explores the outdoors, watching squirrels, playing in the leaves, and learning through observation.
I did find myself wishing for a little more narrative — maybe a small side story about a squirrel family or where they live — but overall it's a gentle, nature-loving book that pairs nicely with Trees Stand Tall for any child’s bookshelf.

ARC from NetGalley.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Squirrels Scamper is an absolute delight! I loved the beautiful illustrations, the strong connection to nature, and the way children’s play and creativity are woven seamlessly into the story. The text is sweet, short, and straightforward—perfect for young listeners, with illustrations that are rich enough for even nonreaders to engage with and learn from.

One of my favorite parts was the thoughtful note to caregivers at the end. It offers practical tips to encourage community, adaptability, bonding, and social-emotional growth. It turns an already charming book into a truly meaningful resource.

This one’s a win for me—highly recommended for families, caregivers, and educators!

Thank you to NetGalley and Teacher Created Materials for the ARC.
#SquirrelsScamper #NetGalley

[Reading Adventures · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 3 in the creative “Outside Our Window” series for children. I am a huge fan of this series. In this adventure we meet two children who noticed a squirrel busy outside their window. They decide to out and discover more. They see how active and busy the squirrel is. They are trying to copy the squirrel like jumping, moving fast and playing.

I love how encouraging the story is. It has beautiful illustrations sharing the beauty of nature. Simple text helps little ones follow along and keep their excitement of what they will next. I also loved the activity pages that gave ideas to help children be active and get outside.

Wonderful story. Enjoy the adventure with your little.

[Darya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful picturebook that draws children's attention to squirrels, urging them to notice what they do and to recognize some relatable activities like work and play. I liked that visually there are many spreads aligned with the point of view of a squirrel, subtly nudging kids to recognize that the world looks different to different subjects. I also find it very important that the squirrels in this book are not some abstract, cartoonish idea of a squirrel but very recognizable grey squirrels that American kids might encounter in their city parks.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main thing I liked about this book was its simplicity. It allows the book to be more open to interpretation, which encourages readers to be more observant both of what they see in the book and in the world around them. Additionally, this book includes a lot of good observations of squirrels, and readers can use the words that they learn from this book in their own everyday lives. What's even better is the words matched the illustrations perfectly, which really helps increase the teaching efficacy of this book. Lastly, I really liked the art style of this book, as it had a fun and carefree feel to it, which is perfect for a kids' book. Bravo!

[Lila Danisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute!
My son and I often saw squirrels when we spent time outside and this book exactly portrayed the excitement every time we saw squirrels dash away from us. Though we lived in Indonesia, we had many leaves scattered on the floor in the morning and evening from the many trees surrounding our neighborhood. So we related much to the background illustrations in this book.
The illustrations were so vibrant with colors and we (my son and I) loved them so much. The details were also so good.
This book gave us a perfect reading experience. Definitely moved to reread books for our reading time.

Thank you to Mélina Mangal, Teacher Created Materials, and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar to last time when we looked at birds (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) this was a very quick book for very quick children, showing us a few details about squirrels, and how we can be like them. For they scamper, work hard over their nuts, and can balance any old how with their tail. We too can scamper about in autumn leaf fall, work hard raking it all up – and have climbing frames to prove our athleticism. So this is about nature, and how animals are nice, as well as how we can share their positive attributes – such as being nice, too. It's all well-meaning, but it doesn't seem a brilliant series, yet. Three and a half stars, once more.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part of a series that shows how kids can connect with nature even when they are living in urban environments. This board book has bright, colorful illustrations, and it teaches kids about squirrels. There isn't much of a story here, but the illustrations are delightful, and the book describes squirrel behavior and shows how kids can imitate and relate to squirrels. There is also a note for parents at the end.

I received a temporary digital copy from NetGalley, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading through Squirrels Scamper made me nostalgic with its autumn theme and non-computer generated illustrations. My favorite part of the book is all the motion in the drawings. It's nice that the author doesn't simply rely on words to express the busy-ness of squirrels. And as an added touch, there are a couple of pages at the end that are aimed towards parents explaining activities they can do with their children to further enhance the message of the book.

[Tasnim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley for the advance of Squirrels Scamper by Mangal, Mélina.
The vibrant illustrations and the storyline indeed takes the reader to scamper along with a squirrel. The fact that a book about squirrels teaches not only about the lifestyle of a squirrel but also balancing between chores and play is amusing. A nice book for adding to the library for little book lovers who also love animals and nature.

[Whitney Kellar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Squirrels Scamper is a quick and light read that teaches children about what they can see outside their own windows. The illustrations are cute and colourful and the book also provides an afterword for parents to use to help enrich conversations with their children to draw life lessons from squirrels. This book is probably best read with children aged 3-5 years.

Thank you to NetGalley and Teacher Created Materials for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

[Payal Doshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Squirrels Scamper is a joyful celebration of nature, play, and discovery. As Kamali and Josiah mimic the busy movements of squirrels, the children learn about balance, teamwork, and the joy of being in nature, which is a great reminder for all the city kids out there! With vibrant illustrations and engaging activities, this lovely book encourages kids everywhere to connect with nature right outside their window. A delightful read!

[Brynn Sowder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cute picture book to engage young children with nature right outside their window. I couldn’t help but think of my niece and nephew who love watching the squirrels play in their yard. Lovely illustrations and simple text.

Thank you to NetGalley, Teacher Created Materials and Free Spirit Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Melissa Blizzard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Squirrels Scamper is a delightful children's picture book about the wonder of squirrels that share the natural world around us. Perhaps young readers have already noticed these delightful animals scampering about in nature. With bright and vivid illustrations, this is a children's book that will entertain the earliest of readers.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about what squirrels do in the city. It’s a look outside your window at a very curious animal. Most of the story is made up of wonderful illustrations. This would be nice for reading a story time at home at school or anywhere in between.

[Lydia Lukidis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, active book that gets kids moving like the squirrels they see! The story captures the energy of autumn and outdoor play. Beautiful artwork and simple text make it engaging for toddlers. Perfect for families who love nature and adventure!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love this board book series.

[QuirkyTofurkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, the artwork in this children’s book is absolutely stunning—rich colors and beautifully detailed pages bring each scene to life. I especially love that the story centers around a squirrel, an animal many children can spot right outside their windows. There’s something so special about making the familiar feel magical, and this book does exactly that.

How fun would it be to read this story and then have your little one excitedly point out a squirrel in the yard or park? It’s a lovely way to blend storytelling with real-world discovery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Teacher Created Materials | Free Spirit Publishing, and Melina Mangal for the privilege of receiving this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[librarilynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the perfect autumn read, and great for toddlers who are beginning to explore outside play! The writing is accessible and the illustrations are so vivid and cozy.