When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel: A Short Tale About a Short Tail

by Chris Pine

From blockbuster actor Chris Pine comes his very first children's book about a delightful duo destined to become a classic.

Digz the Dog is certain that he is the king of Ms. Pincher's garden. There's just one problem . . . Zurl the Squirrel is positive that she is the queen of Ms. Pincher's Garden. As a dog and a squirrel, the two are natural enemies.

But there's more to Digz and Zurl than meets the eye. Digz was once a lonely dog left at the pound. And Zurl has her fair share of insecurities too. When the two come face-to-face in a showdown, they realize. . . they might not be so different.

A perfect Fall read for kids, beloved actor Chris Pine has penned a beautiful picture book about love and accepting one another despite our differences. With gorgeous and timeless illustrations from Chuck Groenink, When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel is sure to become a classic read for years to come.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Dogs, Animals, Childrens

Audible Audio

First published October 8, 2024

About the author

Christopher Whitelaw Pine is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot film series (2009–2016) and Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe films Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984.
Pine first rose to prominence for his roles in the romantic comedies The Princess Diaries 2 (2004) and Just My Luck (2006). His roles also include Bo Barrett in Bottle Shock (2008) Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods (2014); Jack Ryan in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014); Bernie Webber in The Finest Hours (2016); and Robert the Bruce in Outlaw King (2018). He has also starred in Unstoppable (2010), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Hell or High Water (2016), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), and Wish (2023). Pine made his directorial debut with Poolman (2023).

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another celebrity takes a whack at making a children's picture book and botches it with his lousy rhymes and heavy-handed moral.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story and I couldn't always follow the rhythm of the rhyme but beautifully illustrated. (Yes, I did read it because Chris Pine wrote it.)

[Sungyena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Important! Well done! Cozy illustrations I just wanna live in - by Chuck Groenink!

[Patricia Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got both the book and audio from the library. His narration is fun, and the book is sweet. I really think his narration makes this book the best part. I hope he writes more for us. Another one of my most anticipated books of the year.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always a bit wary of celebrity picture books, but Chris Pine is an interesting guy and the cover art won me over, so I thought I'd give it a try. The illustrations are very appealing, I will say that. A very "classic" picture book vibe, with adorable animals and cozy setting. As for the story, it's a nice message, but honestly nothing new under the sun and the writing gets a little rambly at times (Pine said he got into writing by dabbling in poetry and I can definitely see that amateur poet coming through here). I think it would have benefited from some tight editing and my guess is it wouldn't have been published if had gone to the slush pile instead of being penned by a celebrity author. That said, it's not abysmal and the message of approaching ones "enemy" with curiosity and compassion is so important. So, if your little one likes dogs or squirrels and tales of unlikely animal friendships, it might be worth a try.
ETA: Since writing my initial review, I saw Chris Pine read his book on Barnes & Noble Storytime. H0nestly, if I'd just seen this, I might have given the book four stars. I do really like Chris Pine as an actor and he is able to read his own words with the insight of the author and his talent as an actor which really smooths out all those awkward rhymes. While I still can't wholeheartedly recommend actually purchasing the book when there are better picture books out there by people whose passion and career it is to write for children, if you're curious about it then try the B&N video. It takes me back to my childhood when I used to watch "Reading Rainbow" and loved the featured books with the narrators who really brought the stories to life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMnei...

[Yaritza · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dog named Digz was lonely in a pound and found his forever home with Ms. Pincher. He felt right at home, the king of the house. An adorable squirrel named Zurl, along with other siblings, lives right outside, and she is insecure because she has a shorter tail than her siblings. Even with her insecurities, she feels like the queen of the yard. They both have a territory they protect, so they are not looking to be friends. When Zurl called Digz names, and he came after her, she got scared. Digz remembered the time he was in the pound, lonely and afraid. He felt terrible, and they realized how similar they both were. A king and queen can rule together. It is an adorable book about friendship. I loved the illustrations.

[Nicole Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

In the war between dog and squirrel, will there ever be peace? I really loved this book and not just because it was written by one of my favorite actors. The text was jumpy, the illustrations cute and, at times, moving. I loved that it was a simple story showing how empathy for another person (or animal!) can completely change your perspective. I also loved that Digz also owned his mistake of upsetting Zurl and she in turn was able to let her anger go and help make a friendship. A great story for littles (and bigs!) to learn the power of empathy.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Pine did a decent job of writing a kid’s picture book. He has fantastic rhyming skills, but he needs to practice his cadence skills. Digs an adopted dog, and Zorro the neighborhood squirrel finding their spots in their homes and become friends in this adorable story. However, a reader finds himself tripping over the text because there is no flow. There will be sections of flow in cadence that by the next page is completely gone. How Chris uses language and chooses to rhyme parts of the stories shows the ability to do better. This book is a pretty gosh darn good first attempt. I hope he tries writing more picture books, but also get some more practice.

[Norshakila Makmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

i actually liked this book and was surprised to find that chris pine was the author. i loved the rhyming sentences, and enjoy the story of the squabbling Digz and Zurl who later overcome their petty fights and get along just fine. perfect story for my squabbling kids! the only thing i would change are the names - Digz and Zurl. with the “z” at the end of Digz and the “z” starting at Zurl, your tongue gets twisted when trying to read those words so close.

[Jenn O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars - At our bird feeder, when we are not chasing the squirrels away, we have one squirrel with a very short tail. We call him Stumpy. So, I have a special affinity towards this story. I love the connection between the animals that we all have something different that makes us unique. This would be fun series if the adventures of Digz and Zurl continue.

[Jami · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess Chris Pine should be given some credit for writing a kid's book & trying to make it rhyme, it just doesn't quite work when the lines don't scan...& I question using the word Turd in a kid's book (& in describing a dog). I started with 3 stars, but went back to 2 stars - there are much better kid's books out there...

[Jared White · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the illustrations and the idea of the story is good and a nice message (self-acceptance and empathy for another who's very different from yourself), but the writing is just okay, some of it just doesn't flow well.

[Kyle Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, sweet story. The true test of any celebrity writing kidlit is, will they publish another one? Henry Winkler has taken this seriously. This is a good debut from Chris Pine (if he did in fact write it). I think he should do more.

[Sobia A Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all know why this book was chosen. :) So really want to listen to it as the author narrates.
It's a bit long for toddlers, but great for those in school. The story reads as a poem and rhymes.

[Beth Icard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. The names are silly and the rhyming is heavy-handed and twee, but the illustrations and overall story are sweet. Plus, I bought a signed copy from The Strand, so now O own Chris Pine's autograph. I call that a win. ;)

[Stefanie Foard · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I read a digital ARC of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss.

[XOX · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful. Chris Pine read this dog met squirrel book. Simple but with friendship.

https://youtu.be/ZMnei30SHd0?feature=...

[Rebecca Plaza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read aloud with fun rhyming language.

[the_bookish_took · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute and I loved the theme!

[Holly Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rhyming is tricky and long. It was hard to feel the rhythm.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super cute rhyming story about Digz and his friend Zurl.

[Kaprisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was so cute sweet and pretty pictures and story

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rhyming scheme was a little disjointed but the idea was good.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a celebrity author, but I have read books I enjoyed more on the same topic.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh but cute

[Adele · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my, this was so bad. Horrible rhyming text. Stupid story. Perfect example of why not all actors should try their hand at writing children's books.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is absolutely adorable. The illustrations give the story that extra sweet side.
I hope you write more books, Mr Pine.

[Brittany J. Clark]

The audio read by the author was lovely. Impressed with some of the vocabulary for a younger audience. Allowed for great context clue discussion.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found in L4L Volume 146.

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually I'm hmm with Celebrity authors but...this turned out decent and cute.