Squirrel Do Bad

Trubble Town #1

by Stephan Pastis

From the author of the “Pearls Before Swine” comic strip and New York Times bestselling Timmy Failure series comes a laugh-out-loud, heartwarming, full-color graphic novel series about a quirky town—just right for young readers starting to read longer books!

Wendy the Wanderer has lived in Trubble Town her whole life but never had the chance to go exploring. For this reason, she thinks she was definitely misnamed. Her dad likes to know where she is to make sure she’s safe, so she’s never been anywhere on her own. Then, her dad leaves on a trip and the babysitter doesn’t reinforce all the usual rules. Or any of the usual rules! Suddenly, Wendy is free to do what she wants, and what she wants is to live up to her name…and find Trubble.

Turns out, there’s lots going on in Trubble Town. As she encounters endearingly goofy animals and hilariously hapless townsfolk, Wendy’s very first adventure takes more twists and turns than she could have ever expected. She learns some really valuable life lessons and even teaches a few of her own.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Humor, Comics, Childrens, Fiction

Hardcover

First published August 31, 2021

About the author

Stephan Pastis was born in 1968 and raised in San Marino, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1989 with a degree in political science. Although he had always wanted to be a syndicated cartoonist, Pastis realized that the odds of syndication were slim, so he entered UCLA Law School in 1990 and became an attorney instead. He practiced law in the San Francisco Bay area from 1993 to 2002. While an attorney, he began submitting various comic strip concepts to all of the syndicates, and, like virtually all beginning cartoonists, got his fair share of rejection slips. Then, in 1997, he began drawing Pearls Before Swine, which he submitted to the syndicates in mid-1999. In December, 1999, he signed a contract with United.
Pearls Before Swine debuted in newspapers in January, 2002, and Pastis left his law practice in August of that year. Pearls Before Swine was nominated in 2003, 2004 and 2007 as "Best Newspaper Comic Strip" by the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) and won the award in 2004 and 2007. Pastis lives with his family in Northern California.

Reviews

[Ronald · Rating 1 out of 5]

Steven Pastis's Pearls Before Swine is a classic comic - it is well written, smart, poignant has heart and is often funny. This book “Trubble Town” is none of those things.

[MarilynLovesNature · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl who had an "overprotective parent"! Her father always carried an umbrella inside the house because "you never know". Very original! The crude drawings were perfect! I love the squirrel!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very silly and fun.

[Hobart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Always remember—even the smallest thing you do can have big consequences.

WHAT'S SQUIRREL DO BAD ABOUT?
Wendy the Wanderer is a little girl who desperately wants to travel the world, but her over-protective father has other ideas. He's so focused on safety and caution, he carries an umbrella at all times (for example). But when Dad has to leave town for a while on business, Wendy just might get to do a little exploring, if she can get around her babysitter.

This isn't a challenge, as the sitter is too focused on her phone to notice pretty much anything. So, Wendy heads out to explore her hometown, Trubble Town. A fitting name, for her at least.

She tries to befriend a squirrel, Squirrely McSquirrel, but is out of nuts. So gives him a little bit of a Mooshy. A Mooshy is a dangerous concoction for a human, much less a squirrel, it's a "steaming cup o'hot chocolate shoved chock-full with forty marshmallows." The levels of hyperactivity that this induces in Squirrely can't really be described, it can only be depicted in graphic terms, really. He also becomes pretty addicted to them—but the destruction wreaked was so great that no one is permitted to give him any.

It's at this point that things get out of control. The chaos that ensues features a police officer driven by hatred of squirrels, a mayor who refuses to work, a strange town obsession with statues, a would-be nut-themed superhero, a vegetarian squid, civic-minded moles, a lot of dynamite, and too many other things to enumerate. It's the kind of mad-cap pandemonium that appeals to the little kid in us all (especially the middle-grade target audience).

The big questions addressed are: will Squirrely stay out of trouble? Will Wendy be able to keep all this from her father? Will anyone learn anything?

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE-VERSE
On page 56, Larry the Crocodile appears as Squirrely's lawyer. Planting this firmly in the same world as Pastis's comic strip, Pearls Before Swine. But Larry's the only character that I recognized, it's not Pearls. The humor's different than the comic—it's suited for kids, with a different tone, and a different aim.

ART STYLE
If you've read Pearls, you'll have noticed the slightly sloppier style, with bolder lines that Pastis uses when one of his characters is drawing—the art's a lot like that (except for a panel or two at the end). But essentially, it looks a lot like Pearls without Pig and Rat, etc.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT SQUIRREL DO BAD?
Wendy learns a little about chaos theory and begins to see herself as the butterfly that starts the storm. Which is helpful and maybe a little unhealthy, too. Still, she learns the meaning of her father's words before he left (see the opening quotation).

The storytelling reminds me of the kind of stories my kids would write/tell when they were little—something that starts off kind of fun and then gets stranger and stranger and stranger. This is both an observation and a warning for people who want structure and logic to their stories—that's not going to be around.

It's silly. There is some real sweetness to it. It's weird. It's a lot of fun. Pretty much what you'd expect. Give it a shot, or let your kid give it a shot.

[Inger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik las de Nederlandse vertaling. Het verhaal lijkt een beetje van de hak op de tak te gaan, maar ik kan me voorstellen dat kinderen hier best om kunnen lachen. Ik vond het fijn dat er best wat moeilijkere woorden gebruikt werden waardoor het boek toch wat extra uitdaging had.

[Astoria (Jax)]

DNF - 43 pages
This is definitely not for me. It's not even enjoyable for me so I'm walking away.

[Stephanie]

Owen wanted me to read this. It would be a hit with kids who like DogMan style reading. It’s very silly, a little funny, a teensy bit cute.

[Ron Badgerow III · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Pastis, and what a treat! 🙂
Funny, exciting, ridiculous, and heart-warming. A true gem.

[Hayden · Rating 1 out of 5]

AWFUL! It made no sense.

[Daphne]

This book is bananas. Stephan Pastis is bananas. Good job, Stephan!

[Tonja Drecker]

I have five words for this one: zany, looney, and simply fun. I'd leave my review at that, but I need to be a bit more wordy...so, here we go.

Wendy has a wandering spirit, which gives her the nickname Wendy the Wanderer. Except she doesn't wander because her father is a very worried individual (since her mom is no longer there). When he leaves for a business trip, the babysitter should be watching her every move, but the girl doesn't. Wendy takes the opportunity to fulfill her purpose and wanders to Trubble. At the town's park, she meets a squirrel and gives him something non-peanuty to enjoy. But little does she know how much trouble this squirrel is about to cause.

This book has one purpose: to be fun and ridiculous. And it pulls this off masterfully. The graphic novel form is a treat to read with it's simple, bright and still on-spot illustrations. Wendy is adorable in every way, and I can only hope we see more of her in the future. The tale is hilarious and slides through the most crazy situations, making it one to cause more than a few laughs and giggles. Seriousness is definitely not something found in these pages. And that's good so because, sometimes, we just need a laugh.

The writing is appropriate for the younger end of the middle grade age group all the way to the older end. The scenes pull in and entertain, making this a book even more reluctant readers are sure to enjoy.
So, yes, I am recommending this one with a huge smile. I received an ARC and enjoyed just having fun.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is there a metaphor here? Is it a fable, or an allegory, or a symbolic narrative? Or is it just silly? While it does take on bureaucratic inefficiency, anarchy, and mob mentality, mostly, it’s just super silly. The chapter numbers were very funny.

[Angie Blocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute story. Wendy is super likable! I think young readers will really enjoy this! The illustrations are great! It's bright and colorful. I look forward to another Trubble Town reading adventure!

[Tony Laplume · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those Sunday strips in Pearls Before Swine that explain why things are so messed up? This is a whole book of that. It is great satire. It is a very sad book to read. But read it you must.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very funny book. It has a good plot and it is great all around!

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

SQUIRREL DO BAD is an entertaining graphic novel about the consequences of small actions. The book begins with Wendy the Wanderer, who cannot actually wander due to her strict father, who wants to keep her safe inside and always protected. He worries about everything, so he has found a very attentive babysitter while he is away. However, the babysitter doesn't care about actually watching children and lets Wendy do what she wants.

Wendy decides to get a mooshy, a hot cocoa with tons of marshmallows, which she then shares with a squirrel. The squirrel loves it too much and the sugar makes him go a bit haywire, leading to a car accident, messes, and the blowing up of the mayor's office, allegedly. As he is prosecuted and the town attempts to recover but actually just makes a mess of more things, Wendy also tries to write her wrongs before her father comes back or finds out what she's done.

What I loved: This was an overall entertaining story that felt like a series of vignettes. Most of the story is told through overhead text, rather than speech bubbles, so it felt more like an extended picture book vs a graphic novel. There are definitely lots of silly hijinks and bad choices to be made that are sure to make children in this age group laugh. The chapter titles also brought a lot of humor into the story and added a nice touch.

What left me wanting more: I was a bit troubled by the high number of deaths in the book as well as the frequent use of violence (many characters hitting others with objects or wishing harm). There are also lessons about hiding things from your parents and keeping secrets (Wendy is unable to confess before her father returns and then doesn't have to), that I wish could have been turned into something more positive. In terms of the text, I found the writing to be a bit too much for a graphic novel, as the pictures should be able to speak more for themselves. The illustrations were OK, but the characters were a bit stick-figuresque and not as much was told through the images as I would have liked. The length was also longer than I think the story needed to be, particularly without any clear themes or lessons that I would appreciate when targeted to the middle grade age range.

Final verdict: Overall, SQUIRREL DO BAD is a funny middle grade graphic novel that will make children laugh. I would recommend for older readers who can separate out the ethical problems and bad decision making from the story.

Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I thought I’d enjoy this graphic novel, I had no idea that I’d end up loving it. Even though it’s geared toward middle-grade readers, if you’re like me, this fun novel will suck you in before you know it. So because of that, and the fact that a couple of other adults that I’ve talked to have loved this story, I’m declaring this a book for both kids and adults.

Squirrel Do Bad is the story of an overprotective dad and his daughter Wendy. At least it starts out with those two characters. We learn that Wendy has declared herself Wendy The Wanderer, Founder of V.O.O.P – Victims of Over Protective Parents. Truth be told, Dad is quite protective, and is also a “what if” person. He tries to help Wendy by continually warning her that there are consequences of even small actions. But she’s not terribly worried about Dad’s warning. Especially when she sneaks into town while her dad’s away and the babysitter isn’t watching?

The story is completely silly, and at times I had to laugh out loud because of the unexpected happenings. But Dad’s advice that everything we do has consequences became the theme.

How it all tied together at the end, was something only a master of puzzles could say. So my hat’s off to Pastis for creating such a fun story that actually had a satisfying ending.

My Concerns
While I spent more time reading text than examining the graphics, my only tiny complaint might be that the graphics didn’t really appeal to me.

Final Thoughts
I thoroughly loved this story. It was witty and silly and my kind of humor. So a definite thumbs up. Both kids and adults should get a kick out of it.

My thanks to Rock Star Tours and the publisher for a copy of this book. I was free to express my true feelings regarding the book (though a pesky squirrel kept showing up waving a sign and trying to influence me.)

[Dai Guerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts and Themes: I tend to enjoy reading middle grade graphic novels since they tend to be funny and cute in their own way and this was no different. I think that grades 2-5 would really enjoy this type of book and the randomness of each of the stories. I think the ending of each of the chapters would intrigue them as well rather than my reaction of ummmm why did that just happen?

I love how all the important people in this town are all animals and how few of the characters involved are people. It just makes for an interesting story as you wonder if this is an imaginary town that the girl made up because she is trapped inside due to the protective father.

Characters: In this book you get introduced to Wendy who is one of the main characters of the story but there are portions in which you think that Squirrely is our main character. I really enjoyed the chapters that focused on the Squirrel and the way the people in Trubble Town thought of him as a nuisance.

While the whole thing seems very random, there are pieces in the chapters that connect the characters together. That was something that I really enjoyed about this book, I liked how there was something that connected the whole book together rather than it seeming like random snippets of a story.

Writing and Art Style: I really liked how this story goes from one box to another and it makes it easy to follow. I also like the way each of the characters are drawn and how easy it is to tell each of them apart from one another.

Something else that I liked about this book was the chapter names since I thought they were each unique and funny. I liked that they aren’t clear about what is going to happen in each chapter as it adds to the randomness of this book.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Which Things Happen

Stephan Pastis writes and illustrates a humorous comic strip style graphic novel about the ironies of the small actions that cause big problems. Wendy the Wanderer wants to live up to her name and experience the world, but her overprotective father Worried Willy will not let her go anywhere without supervision. When he has to go out of town, and her babysitter turns out to be quite lax, Wendy the Wanderer takes her chance to visit the home town of Trouble. Where she gives a local squirrel a sugary drink called mooshy, and causes a chain events that really causes trouble in Trouble town.

Stephan Pastis uses a very minimal style of comic strip art to create his story. Relying on simple characteristics, bright colors, and a lot of dialogue to progress his story. Separated by many hyperbolically titled chapters. The story is formatted through various everyday occurrences in the town of Trouble. Starting with Wendy and then adding new characters along the way as Wendy’s choices effect the town. It all starts when Wendy the Wanderer asks “What good does it do to always fear everything?” a question that ends up causing a lot trouble in trouble town.

There are numerous troublesome incidents, in which squirrels are guilty before proven innocent, and the citizens of Trouble town learn to take responsibility for how the town is run. Inaction, fear, and neglect is no way to help a town thrive. Or if anything, the towns people get a lot of exercise chasing after Squirrely the squirrel. Trouble Town: Squirrel Do Bad does not take itself too seriously, which makes it a fun read when life becomes a little too serious.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supposedly written by underground moles Pasis’s Perils of Wendy the Wanderer and the sugar junkie Squirrely McSquirrel reduce the town of Trubble to ruins when Wendy, fails to do what her overprotective father has warned her not to do: go out of the house alone without an umbrella. The innocent and clueless Wendy starts out to wander all over the world starting with the hometown café Mooshy Mike’s where she purchases a Mooshy, “a steaming cup o’hot chocolate shoved chock-full with forty marshmallows" and contains “the most sugar legally available.” From there she treks to the Town Park to drink her beverage and eat some nuts on the park bench. There she encounters Squirrely McSquirrel who begs for a nut. Alas, Wendy has eaten all of them, so she recklessly gives him the rest of her Mooshy. And the newly sugar powered squirrel goes berserk.

This results in a two-hundred-eight-six page, full color, improbably plotted, slapstick chase scene, filled with the perils of exploding buildings, underground tunnelling, grandmothers tossed through the air, a somnolent judge, a vengeful police officer, and a defense lawyer who is unclear what his job entails, not to mention a know-it-all ostrich, and many other comic characters. The result is that Wendy is plagued by guilt, Squirrely McSquirrel is on the run, and Nutman vainly attempts to gain superpowers.

It's a fat, long, and wonderfully silly comic book. Oops, Graphic Novel. Thank you Mr. Pastis or the three moles as the case may be.

[Eric Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wendy the Wanderer is a victim of an overprotective parent. She would love nothing less than to be able to see the world, but her overprotective father is overprotective. He won’t even let her explore their town of Trubble. While her father is away on a business trip, Wendy’s baby-sitter, Watchful Willamina is too busy taking selfies to notice that Wendy has ran off to find Trubble. After giving Squirrely McSquirrel a Mooshy, Wendy the Wanderer learns the hard way about how “even the smallest thing you do can have big consequences.”

From the same brain that gave us the comic strip “Pearls Before Swine” comes Trubble Town vol 1; Squirrel do Bad. This brain belongs to Stephan Pastis, a bestselling author of children’s chapter books. Pastis bring his signature brand of silly comic humor to the town of Trubble. In this book you will be amazed and horrified and entertained by all the trouble Squirrelly McSquirrel causes. With the help of three moles, who may or may not have done all the writing, Pastis delivers more outrageous characters than one town can hold. If you read only one book of misadventures that teaches a moral, read this one.

This review was originally published at https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/pr...

[Tiffany (OomilyReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Squirrel Do Bad (Trubble Town #1) written & illustrated by Stephen Pastis

PUB DATE: August 31, 2021 (TODAY)

This has got to be the most random comic book my kids & I have ever read! It was silly, extremely random & weird. One of my 6 year olds gave it a 5 star rating and thought the ending was pretty funny with the blank comic strips and my other two give it 4 stars.

I really don't even know what happened in the book after reading it. Initially I thought it was subtle and funny social commentary about what happens when Karens accuse others of things that didn't happen and an unjust justice system but it just got too random.

A little girl named Wendy who has an over-protective father sneaks out and accidentally gives a sugary drink called a mooshy to a squirrel who on a sugar high wrecks havoc on their little town, Trubble. My kids thought it was funny, silly & enjoyable.

The full-color illustrations are in the Pearl Before Swine comics style which is also by Stephen Pastis! And there's a cameo from the alligator from that comic. This comic is perfect for 5 to 7 year olds who like being silly.

Thank you simon kids for sending us this funny comic book.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Squirrel Do Bad is a wonderful and entertaining book for young readers by Stephan Pastis. I found it be a fun and delightful story to read. It is, also, the start to the Trubble Town series. Even though it is a book for younger readers, I enjoyed it and laughed at all that went on. The pictures perfectly follow the story and so vibrant and colorful that hard not to capture one’s eye. Readers will be captivated and be able to hold their attention and continue reading to find out what happens all the way to the end.

Squirrel Do Bad is getting a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for young readers who are between the ages of seven and thirteen. I look forward to reading more books like this from Stephan Pastis and his Trubble Town series in the future. This would make a great gift and a wonderful addition to the local or school library.

I received a hard cover copy of Squirrel Do Bad from the publisher but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

[Jacob Schmitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nanny who deals dynamite, a squirrel who can’t handle his sugar, and a girl who suffers from wanderlust, comes this erratic graphic novel by Stephan Pastis -author & illustrator of Timmy Failure. When Wendy the Wanderer’s worrisome father leaves town, she ceases her chance for adventure. Yet, with the Butterfly Effect in full effect, and articulated well in this GN, the small action of giving a squirrel sugar, eventually, causes the whole town to erupt… literally. Can Wendy mend her ways and come clean to her father? What lessons, if any, lie in this chaotic and wild comedy?

With wit and a penchant for various types of comedy, it is somewhat disorientating keeping up with Pastis’ plot. With satire, surrealism, slapstick, cringe, and other forms of comedy at his disposal, Pastis doesn’t hold back in entertaining and inundating his readers with humor. I found it too extreme and disorientating; yet young readers may fare better to this kind of material.

[E.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4.5 Stars
My Recommendation: High
(I received this book free from Rockstar book tours in exchange for my honest review)

This is a cute fun read for readers of all ages and a perfect book if you have say a children's circle reading or even for parents and child reading time at home.

The artwork was fun and unique. The word buddles were easy to follow and the text was the perfect size. I liked all the stories and the tone of the overall book. The book has a good message and delivers it in fun and interesting ways.

This book will keep your attention and keep your eyes glued to the pages. I believe this would make a pretty good cartoon, one I would defiantly watch.

Overall this book is worth your time, especially if you're on the hunt for a new book for your young reader. I hope you give this one a chance, you won't regret it.

Happy Reading

-E.A. Walsh

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars, 5 stars for originality and 4 stars for the actual story. If you like the absurd, over the top exaggeration or the unbelievable, this story about what happens in Trubble Town when Wendy the Wanderer's dad is away for a business trip. It all starts with a squirrel and a milkshake. From there things go from bad to worse to even worse. How can Wendy make it all better before her Dad returns?
Along with those who like graphic novels, give this one to those who like stories with squirrels. The first part of the story made me think of Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, another story I loved that features a squirrel and a wacky (IMO) premise.

[Kelly ♈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pearls Before Swine is one of my VERY FAVORITE comic strips, up there with Garfield, my most longstanding favorite. So when I saw that Stephan Pastis (aka "the moles") was the author, I wanted to read it even more.

It's chaotic like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie but on steroids, so this has even more twists and turns than the last book I read. The Saturnian themes of time, consequences, punishment, and even "F.A.T.H.E.R.", along with the MC ultimately fearing the reaction of her father about ignoring his advice, illustrate how this kids graphic novel with its charmingly unique and offbeat humor could only have been created by a Capricorn. Perfect ending that you'll have to read to discover for yourself.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Squirrel Do Bad is the first book in the new Trubble Town series. It's a fun little graphic novel done by the author behind the Pearls Before Swine comic strip, so if you're a fan of that, you'll love this book.
The story follows Wendy, a little girl in Trubble Town. Wendy's dad is super overprotective, and she's never had the chance to explore her town. But when her dad goes on a trip and hires a babysitter who is useless, Wendy decides now's her chance to go out and see what she's been missing. Unfortunately for Wendy, that means getting herself into a whole heap of trouble, thanks to one pesky little squirrel.
I found this graphic novel to be silly, a bit ridiculous at times, and overall just good fun. The illustrations are bright and colorful, and they're done in the style of Pearls Before Swine, so it also feels both nostalgic and modern. Wendy is amusing, but it's the other people in town who really bring the book to life. And poor Squirrel just wanted a hot chocolate (aka a Mooshy).
Middle-grade readers will enjoy this book, laughing out loud as they go on a wild adventure along with Wendy through Trubble Town.
4 stars!

[Susan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect graphic novel in so many ways. 1) Perfect for young readers to feel competence and confidence; 2) wet your pants funny for adults assisting or reading with the young readers. Sesame St. is brilliant with humor appealing to varied demographics adults/preschoolers; in this book, Stephan Pastis succeeds as well. The narrative is an absurd parable of our times and our values; young readers will find it hysterical and may not know that it's a parody, but that's okay. I adore Pearls Before Swine and I love that some of those characters make cameo appearances here. A fun and wonderful graphic novel. Thank you Stephan Pastis.

[Skye (Skye's Scribblings) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I typically enjoy stories that are complete nonsense, but this was not one of them. It was too pointless and disjointed to be amusing, and barely interesting enough to keep me reading - I almost DNFd it twice but made myself finish to see if it was actually going anywhere. Which it was, a moral was eventually revealed at the end, but it took WAY too long to get there, especially for a children's graphic novel - I can't imagine juveniles will understand even half of it. I really enjoy Stephan's Pearl's Before Swine so I expected to really enjoy this, but that was sadly not the case. I'll continue reading his strip, but will be avoiding his children's books in future.