Sasquatch and Squirrel

by Chris Monroe

Strawberry the Sasquatch lives alone deep in the forest.

Most animals are afraid of her, but she doesn't mind. She's happy doing all the alone things a sasquatch does―things like hiking and foraging as well as dance moves and logger pranks. Then one day, an extremely friendly squirrel named Nutty shows up. After a series of hilarious mishaps, Strawberry isn't sure she and Nutty can get along. But thanks to some cloud watching, seed portraits, and stale marshmallows, the two find a way to be friends.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Friendship, Graphic Novels, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published May 2, 2023

About the author

Chris Monroe's humor and intricate illustrations draw high praise from reviewers and bloggers alike. Chris is also the author and illustrator of Totally Uncool and the long-running comic strip Violet Days. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.

Reviews

[Jamie Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is adorable and it definitely encapsulates the life of a squirrel.I loved the illustrations. This is a five star childrens' sasquatch book.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the writer/illustrator of the wonderful Monkey With a Tool Belt books come a sweet, funny, and totally unlikely story of a friendship that absolutely couldn’t be. Strawberry the Sasquatch does all sorts of Sasquatchy things but always alone. A chance meeting with a hyperactive squirrel could lead to a friendship…except for all the injuries that Sasquatch sustains trying to do things that Nutty likes to do. By the end, the mismatched pair discover that they can find things to do together and that’s much better than doing them alone. While most young readers will simply enjoy the illustrations and the funny disasters that befall poor Strawberry, some may see the greater message that common ground can often be found even between two who seem completely different. Perfect for libraries serving preschool-2nd grade.

Thanks for the print arc, Lerner Publishing Group.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter is six and an early reader. She LOVES picking out books for us to read together.
We read about Strawberry and Nutty and her feed back was “I liked it, but I didn’t LOVE it.”
I thought the message was an important one that was conveyed strongly and clearly, just because you and your friends don’t enjoy all te same things, doesn’t mean your friendship isn’t valuable. Strawberry and Nutty definitely don’t experience the world the same way, but they totally figure out how to enjoy each other’s company and find things they are good at together.
This was provided to me by NetGalley for an honest review.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strawberry's a very lonely sasquatch, though she keeps herself busy with a variety of fun activities. One day she meets Squirrel, and they seem to hit it off, though everything they try to do together seems to end up in disaster and/or injury.



Can they really be friends if they don't share all the same hobbies?

Kids of all ages should enjoy this fun tale of an unusual friendship told in colorful graphic novel style.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing for sharing this one.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can a sasquatch and a squirrel become friends? Chris Monroe has created an unlikely friendship story that is sure to make you chuckle and, in parts, belly laugh. Strawberry and Nutty navigate all the tough decisions of budding friendships. Is it a friendship that will endure, or will they have to go their separate ways? You'll laugh your way to finding out!

Young readers will delight in the illustrations. It begs to be read with another person. What if one reader reads Strawberry's speech bubbles and another reads Nutty's speech bubbles?

I loved this book so much. I read it halfway through and stopped and then I saved the rest for my next reading.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sasquatch, named Strawberry, enjoys life, almost always alone, but when he comes across a squirrel named Nutty, both decide it would be fun to do things together. Well, you may imagine a lot of shenanigans from the ideas of "fun" from both. Chris Monroe keeps the silliness in story and comical illustrations with speech bubbles moving beautifully. Along the way, one gets a sense that both Strawberry and Nutty are willing to try hard in order to be with a new friend. And in the end, with the help of marshmallows and clouds, some goodness between them happens. This will tickle lots of young readers and those who might read it aloud, too!

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are always looking for new Sasquatch books since my kids love Sasquatch so much. Strawberry is such a lovable character. This book has great illustrations. The developing relationship between Strawberry and Nutty is cute and funny. This book had us laughing and looking forward to more books in this series. Thanks for such a great book!

Thank you NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book in advance of publication.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Sasquatch and Squirrel is intended for children ages 4-8. The story follows an unlikely duo through their adventures in the forest. My only comment is that some of the pages are very visually overwhelming and since there is so much content on each page, this book is a bit longer than it seems. I would say it's more on the higher end of the age range.

[Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the funniest and cutest books I have read so far in 2023. I am obsessed with Sasquatch and my Granddad hated squirrels, so I had to pick up this book. This is perfect for my younger family members and I will probably buy them all a copy of this book. I would also love to have some of the artwork hung on my wall, it was that perfect.

Thank you Netgalley for letting give my honest review

[Brooke - TheBrookeList · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quirky and silly. Sasquatch has a juvenile feel (my nephew could have drawn it?), but that is actually pretty appealing. Sasquatch and Squirrel try to find common ground, and some painful escapades ensue.

Read as a nomination in the Fiction Picture Book book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).

Not exactly top-notch writing, but sort of fun.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was ummm…weird but in the best way.

I can totally see reading this with my son and him laughing hysterically. I can’t wait to read it with him.

It’s totally random and off the wall. It’s a fun read.

I’m with Nutty, we don’t wanna hangout with any pancake wasters. I hope Strawberry knows a good doctor if he’s going to keep hanging out with the likes of Nutty.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasquatch and Squirrel are funny, unlikely friends! I love this odd combo of unlikely friends as their story is hilarious, cute, and entertaining. This is the perfect read aloud for 4-6 year olds as there is a LOT of humor in this book. Sometimes you just need an entertaining and fun book. This is it!

[Traci E. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wasn’t a fan of this book. It could’ve been a cute story, but was entirely too long and drawn out and didn’t hold my attention much less my child’s. I also didn’t like the comic book set up of the book and it was too much needless conversation between strawberry and nutty.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

[Tracy Mabry · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read. Seriously!

[Jay Gabler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty darn charming. I like the very Minnesota touch that has them bonding over seed art.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Friendship isn’t always easy, especially when you have very different ideas of what is fun. But Strawberry (a sasquatch) and Nutty (a squirrel) figure it out together.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6 year old LOVED this book!

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and funny

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

A swing and a miss. Story did not keep my interest and the illustrations were subpar. Hard pass.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute tale of an unexpected little friendship. There are a couple of little captions and quirks that make this book that much more fun.

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is really cute, but I am not really sure I got the message. The squirrel was super annoying to me. I think littles may like it better than I did, but it just wasn't for me.

3 stars

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review of this book will soon be available on The Folklore Podcast website.