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You can do it, Squirrel!
Squirrel and Elephant are best friends. One day, when Squirrel sees delicious nuts high up in a tree, she is scared to climb it. Elephant motivates her and supports her, and when things go wrong, he is there for her. Together, they overcome the hurdle, and they can’t wait for their next adventure.
- GenresChildrens
32 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2019
About the author
Kate Breuer
9 books6 followersKate has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child she could be found cooped up in armchairs, bed, or propped inside of door frames reading book after book.
During summer vacations at her grandmother’s house, she would read books like The Little Prince and The Diary of a Young Girl albeit being too young to read it. This is where she ultimately wrote her first story about a little cigarette going on an adventure to avoid death by fire, which was inspired by her grandmother’s chain-smoking habits.
Reading a poem at her best friend’s funeral as a teenager made her realize just how much power words hold.
With the help of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, as well as Bilbo, Dwalin, Balin, Kili, Fili, and the like, she began writing fantasy novels and short stories. One of her first finished books, and one of the most embarrassing choices of her writing career, was a sequel to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
It was years before she finally went on to original work and even longer before any of it had much value. In 2015, she wrote this very book during NaNoWriMo, well, a very rough first draft. In 2018 it is now finally edited and ready for you to read.
Constant Vigilance!
During summer vacations at her grandmother’s house, she would read books like The Little Prince and The Diary of a Young Girl albeit being too young to read it. This is where she ultimately wrote her first story about a little cigarette going on an adventure to avoid death by fire, which was inspired by her grandmother’s chain-smoking habits.
Reading a poem at her best friend’s funeral as a teenager made her realize just how much power words hold.
With the help of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, as well as Bilbo, Dwalin, Balin, Kili, Fili, and the like, she began writing fantasy novels and short stories. One of her first finished books, and one of the most embarrassing choices of her writing career, was a sequel to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
It was years before she finally went on to original work and even longer before any of it had much value. In 2015, she wrote this very book during NaNoWriMo, well, a very rough first draft. In 2018 it is now finally edited and ready for you to read.
Constant Vigilance!
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 7, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this copy.
This was such a super cute book about confidence and overcoming fears.
This is the right kind of encouragement and support between the characters, without being pushy.
Also the pictures are mega adorable!!!
I received a B&W kindle copy, so I may only assume they are even cuter in colour!
This was such a super cute book about confidence and overcoming fears.
This is the right kind of encouragement and support between the characters, without being pushy.
Also the pictures are mega adorable!!!
I received a B&W kindle copy, so I may only assume they are even cuter in colour!
February 3, 2019
This beautifully illustrated story focuses on a very important social skill: the right way to offer and give help.
While Elephant and his best friend Squirrel explore woods, they notice some delicious-looking nuts in a tree. Squirrel would like Elephant to help her up, so that she can reach the food. Elephant is in two minds. He can easily do what she asks, but then she would never learn to do it on her own and would be in trouble if there were no one around to help. He encourages her and is ready to catch her best friend in case she falls. Squirrel faces her fear and, step by step, reaches the branch. She is delighted but then she slips up and falls only to land on her friend’s trunk. He was there watching out for her, ready to help. Elephant praises her courage and tells her that next time she will also learn how to climb down on her own. They are looking forward to exploring the world together, comfortable and safe in knowing their friend will be there to support them.
I thought it was really sweet how Elephant encourages, empowers and builds his friend’s self-esteem by allowing Squirrel learn a useful skill that would increase her autonomy.
Thank you to Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC provided in return for an honest opinion.
While Elephant and his best friend Squirrel explore woods, they notice some delicious-looking nuts in a tree. Squirrel would like Elephant to help her up, so that she can reach the food. Elephant is in two minds. He can easily do what she asks, but then she would never learn to do it on her own and would be in trouble if there were no one around to help. He encourages her and is ready to catch her best friend in case she falls. Squirrel faces her fear and, step by step, reaches the branch. She is delighted but then she slips up and falls only to land on her friend’s trunk. He was there watching out for her, ready to help. Elephant praises her courage and tells her that next time she will also learn how to climb down on her own. They are looking forward to exploring the world together, comfortable and safe in knowing their friend will be there to support them.
I thought it was really sweet how Elephant encourages, empowers and builds his friend’s self-esteem by allowing Squirrel learn a useful skill that would increase her autonomy.
Thank you to Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC provided in return for an honest opinion.
January 19, 2019
Oh. My. Word. I loved this book so much! The illustrations are so watercolor-y and whimsical and precious! The sweet story is about an adorable little elephant, and his friend, a squirrel. The message was so cute, and the writing was concise and enjoyable for even a very young little one. If you are looking for a whimsical, adorable read with a sweet message for your little one, definitely grab a copy of this!
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
January 17, 2019
Thanks to Booksgosocial and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
My daughter loves squirrels and elephants so when I saw the cover I jumped at the chance to read this. I thought this was a really cute story and I loved the illustrations. Besides the teamwork aspect, I loved how these two best friends are different animals. It isn't two squirrels or two elephants, so this example provides a great teaching opportunity I can use for my daughter. It's important for her to know that friendships come in all shapes and sizes and you don't always have to look the same to be friends. What is important is how we all have positive attributes that set us apart and make us special. When we recognize that in each other, we can accomplish anything! For that alone, I would buy this book and add it to her library. I also thought the bilingual aspect of this book is unique. I think German is a great language to teach, but it would be nice to offer in other languages as well.
My daughter loves squirrels and elephants so when I saw the cover I jumped at the chance to read this. I thought this was a really cute story and I loved the illustrations. Besides the teamwork aspect, I loved how these two best friends are different animals. It isn't two squirrels or two elephants, so this example provides a great teaching opportunity I can use for my daughter. It's important for her to know that friendships come in all shapes and sizes and you don't always have to look the same to be friends. What is important is how we all have positive attributes that set us apart and make us special. When we recognize that in each other, we can accomplish anything! For that alone, I would buy this book and add it to her library. I also thought the bilingual aspect of this book is unique. I think German is a great language to teach, but it would be nice to offer in other languages as well.
January 30, 2019
3.5 stars.
This is a book about helping someone, the right way of helping, to be precise. It is a story for young children to enjoy and for adults (and children alike) to take to heart.
1) Empowering
Squirrel and Elephant are walking next to each other through the woods when Squirrel discovers some nuts in a tree. But Squirrel is too scared to climb the tree and asks Elephant for help.
Instead of just lifting her up, he decides to build up Squirrel's confidence by encouraging her and by pointing out her physical features which are perfect for climbing. I really like that he not only tells her to be brave but also gives her a rational explanation as to why she has good reason to trust in her abilities.
2) Dealing with Failure
So, Squirrel gives it a go but gets scared again when she sees how high she has already climbed. Here, Elephant steadies her with his trunk but only for as long as she needs it. She reaches the nuts and in her excitement loses her balance and falls. But Elephant catches her, of course. He has some more encouraging words for her and also formulates a learning goal for next time: climbing down the tree. Here I appreciate that Elephant and Squirrel don't focus on falling (which could equal failure for self-critical kids) but on Squirrel's courage. And - even better - they don't just celebrate her achievement but point out that further practice will lead to growth.
3) Bonding
After this exciting and exhausting experience, they head home with Squirrel sitting comfortably on Elephant's back. I like this little detail because it shows that supporting others in a learning experience is a way of bonding and establishing trust.
And the moral of this story ...
1) The right way to help someone is by empowering and encouraging them, instead of doing the work for them.
2) The right balance between granting autonomy and providing protection creates the potential for bonding and trust.
3) When failure occurs, it is good to focus on your achievement and to keep trying, aiming even higher next time.
I think this book offers some great advice for parents, caregivers, and educators, as well as NGOs and people who work in development.
I probably should have given it a higher rating but to me it just didn't feel like much of a story. The message is great, the pictures are adorable, but the story is very predictable and lacking in dialogue. So, I think older kids would find it boring and it's not one of those books that I wouldn't mind reading to my kids over and over again. I guess my problem is that I love squirrels and the illustrations are so cute that I was hoping for more, something like Einhörnchen. I liked it but I didn't love it.
Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a free copy of this book in exchange in for an honest review.
This is a book about helping someone, the right way of helping, to be precise. It is a story for young children to enjoy and for adults (and children alike) to take to heart.
1) Empowering
Squirrel and Elephant are walking next to each other through the woods when Squirrel discovers some nuts in a tree. But Squirrel is too scared to climb the tree and asks Elephant for help.
Elephant thought about it. If he helped squirrel, she would be happy, and it was easy for him to lift her up into the tree. But if he did, she would never learn to climb a tree, and what if she ever needed to climb one when he wasn't around?
Instead of just lifting her up, he decides to build up Squirrel's confidence by encouraging her and by pointing out her physical features which are perfect for climbing. I really like that he not only tells her to be brave but also gives her a rational explanation as to why she has good reason to trust in her abilities.
2) Dealing with Failure
So, Squirrel gives it a go but gets scared again when she sees how high she has already climbed. Here, Elephant steadies her with his trunk but only for as long as she needs it. She reaches the nuts and in her excitement loses her balance and falls. But Elephant catches her, of course. He has some more encouraging words for her and also formulates a learning goal for next time: climbing down the tree. Here I appreciate that Elephant and Squirrel don't focus on falling (which could equal failure for self-critical kids) but on Squirrel's courage. And - even better - they don't just celebrate her achievement but point out that further practice will lead to growth.
3) Bonding
After this exciting and exhausting experience, they head home with Squirrel sitting comfortably on Elephant's back. I like this little detail because it shows that supporting others in a learning experience is a way of bonding and establishing trust.
And the moral of this story ...
1) The right way to help someone is by empowering and encouraging them, instead of doing the work for them.
2) The right balance between granting autonomy and providing protection creates the potential for bonding and trust.
3) When failure occurs, it is good to focus on your achievement and to keep trying, aiming even higher next time.
I think this book offers some great advice for parents, caregivers, and educators, as well as NGOs and people who work in development.
I probably should have given it a higher rating but to me it just didn't feel like much of a story. The message is great, the pictures are adorable, but the story is very predictable and lacking in dialogue. So, I think older kids would find it boring and it's not one of those books that I wouldn't mind reading to my kids over and over again. I guess my problem is that I love squirrels and the illustrations are so cute that I was hoping for more, something like Einhörnchen. I liked it but I didn't love it.
Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a free copy of this book in exchange in for an honest review.
February 9, 2019
This is an adequate picture book about the power of trying-trying again with a squirrel and an elephant. The illustrations and the story are alright. The book was so unremarkable that it is hard to review. It was good but not great. This is one of those books to read if it is at the library but not necessarily worthy of joining the home library.
Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2019
A lovely short children's book about trying things on your own in order to succeed. This is a fast, lovely read about a squirrel and her elephant friend, who encourages her to try and climb the tree on her own.
The illustrations were quite lovely and the story straightforward, although I would have preferred something more in means of a plot. Nevertheless, a good book to read with a young child.
The illustrations were quite lovely and the story straightforward, although I would have preferred something more in means of a plot. Nevertheless, a good book to read with a young child.
January 30, 2019
This lovely picture book tells about the genuine friendship between two good friends— Squirrel and Elephant. One day, Squirrel finds nuts in a tree but is fear to climb up the tall tree to get one. Then, Elephant motivates and helps her to overcome her fears.
The beautiful illustrations immediately catch my eyes. I think it will offer kids a great visual. Also, It reminds me of an old saying, “a friend in need is a friend indeed.” What a great teaching book for kids to learn about what true friendship is. Moreover, its bilingual text in German and English makes it really a must-read for raising a bilingual baby.
The beautiful illustrations immediately catch my eyes. I think it will offer kids a great visual. Also, It reminds me of an old saying, “a friend in need is a friend indeed.” What a great teaching book for kids to learn about what true friendship is. Moreover, its bilingual text in German and English makes it really a must-read for raising a bilingual baby.
January 24, 2019
Short little story, but sweet. A little elephant and squirrel are friends. One day squirrel spies some nuts in a tall tree, but is too frightened to climb the tree to get them. Elephants, a great friends, encourages squirrel to conquer her fear and offers her support as squirrel climbs up the tree. I think it would make a good story for a little to encourage them to try something they are reluctant to.try! Nice story about friends. illustrations are sweet! I can't wait to see the book!
I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
January 23, 2019
This is a very sweet book with a lovely message of not giving up and next time you try you can always improve yourself. The pictures were also sweet too. My 8 year old girl enjoyed this book however I think my 4 year old boy got so much more from this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this lovely book in exchange for a honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this lovely book in exchange for a honest review.
January 16, 2019
3,5/5. Another book for kids about friendship and collaboration/trust. Everything is alright without being noticeable above average. Well done but not really original.
January 8, 2019
This book is an instant classic. It is a great, heartwarming story of friendship, learning, life, and adventure between two best friends, Elephant and Squirrel. The artwork is perfect and really brings the story and characters to life. I just bought three copies for some little squirrels I know, and I’m sure they will love it. I’m sure the squirrels you know will too. Kate Breuer’s wonderful little book is one you will treasure and remember forever. Bravo, Kate! Make sure to read this one!
July 30, 2019
The illustrations are super cute, and the two characters - Elephant and Squirrel - are charming in this picture book about friendship, overcoming fears, and supporting your friends in their endeavors! Squirrel wants some choice nuts, but is scared of heights and climbing the tree - but Elephant knows he can't just reach up there and get the nuts for Squirrel for then she'll never learn or overcome her fear! Keeping his trunk at the ready to help steady or catch, he guides Squirrel to get the nuts she so desired :-)
March 20, 2026
I thought that this was a fun book to read! The story was well written and it was easy to read and understand, I loved the characters of Squirrel and Elephant and the book had some great messaging. The illustrations in the book were great and they brought the story to life. It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!
June 25, 2020
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a cute book with a good message: keep trying. Kids will like the fun story and the bright pictures.
This is a cute book with a good message: keep trying. Kids will like the fun story and the bright pictures.
May 29, 2020
Its a cute story about teamwork. The illustrations were wonderful . The squirrel and elephant are friends. When the squirrel asks the elephant to get the nut from the tree, the elephant encourages the squirrel to climb and get it by itself.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC
November 5, 2019
Toll für kleine und ältere Kinder!
February 19, 2019
A cute picture book about being nice to your friends and believing in yourself and your abilities. Fun illustration makes this an enjoyable book for little ones.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews