Hide and Seek, Nuts to Eat

by Tracy C. Gold, Tracy Gold, Nancy Leschnikoff (Illustrator)

An adorable rhyming book with educational nonfiction elements woven in. Perfect for homes, classrooms, and libraries!

Follow along as one squirrel hides seeds, nuts, and berries that her neighbors will seek later! Scientific back matter about squirrel hoarding and different types of squirrels from around the world included.

Brrrrr! It's getting colder now.

My coat begins to grow.

Time to start my winter stash

Before the freezing snow!

All my friends like stealing food,

Which isn't very kind.

I'll be smart and hide a ton

For us to seek and find.

Sniff! I find some acorns. Yum!

I stash them in the ground.

Next, come spinning maple seeds.

I pounce. I leap. I bound!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Nonfiction, Animals

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2023

About the author

Tracy C. Gold loves bringing characters to life. She writes picture books about nature and family. She also works as a freelance editor and teaches on-demand courses about writing picture books. She is a big geek about rhythm and rhyme! Tracy also writes short stories, essays, poems, and novels. Her work has been published in several magazines and anthologies. Tracy earned her M.F.A. in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts and taught writing at the University of Baltimore. She also learned a lot about publishing as an intern for literary agent Carrie Pestritto. She earned her B.A. in English from Duke University. Tracy loves playing with her kid, horses, and dogs. You can find out more about Tracy at tracycgold.com.

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

11/29/2023 - Great rhymes and vibrant illustrations. I especially enjoyed the added information at the end like different squirrels found around the world.

[Stefy Puglisevich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute book, the illustrations are adorable and vibrant and the story itself is easy to follow and a lovely book to read to little ones. Read this to my little one last night and she was hooked on each page looking at the pictures whilst I read her the book.

The facts about squirrels at the back was very informative, this book is a perfect addition to any child's library and also great for schools!

Thank you Netgalley & Sourcebooks Kids for this ARC for my honest review.

[Adrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love watching squirrels in nature and so enjoyed reading about them in this upbeat rhyming story by Tracy Gold. Don't we all want to know what those little squirrels are thinking?! This story gives us an imaginative sneak peek into their world. The illustrations are lively and the squirrels are so cute! The back-matter information about squirrels is interesting and informative; I learned some things!

[Christine Zandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids will love this fast-pacing book. We follow a squirrel as it gathers and stashes food items. I like how the perspective is different from always seeing a nut grow into the tree and appreciate that we get to see things from the squirrel's perspective. The art is adorable and the facts (and lots of cute squirrels) at the end add another layer to this book. Beyond buying it for home, this book is a worthwhile addition to classrooms, one kids will want again and again.

[HealDa Asare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hide and Seek, Nuts To Eat is a colorful children's book that teaches kids about how squirrels get their food. Hiding and Seeking their hidden food, we follow the rhymes in the book to find out if the squirrels discover their "hidden pantries" for their food or their food decays. And oh, who knew squirrels can actually grow their own food?
If you don't believe me, just grab your copy and find out. It is an easy and educative read for kids and i greatly recommend it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little squirrel is gathering nuts, seeds and berries for he and his friends as winter nears. He is good and only takes a little because he realizes that birds are needing food in winter as well. He hopes that he and his friends can find their stash in the winter. When spring arrives some of the seeds they didn't find in the winter were found to sprout and bloom in spring. It won't be long until the cycle starts all over again.
Lovely illustrations.

[Joey Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Kids / Sourcebooks Explore and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

A rhyming picture book on a squirrel hunting for its seeds and nuts ready for the colder months to come.

This is such a great book for teaching children all about squirrels and how they survive when the weather changes and the struggle to find food arises. I loved that it was done in a sweet rhyming style and it showed all the different things that they eat and scavenge for.

I loved the illustrations throughout they were really cute, seeing the squirrel in different situations, they were really cute and worked perfectly to tell the story. I also really loved that we got an illustration of each type of squirrel and a fact-file sharing with us even more information, I honestly didn’t even know some of those types of squirrel existed myself so it was a fun way to learn about them.

This is a perfect book for young children that love animals or if you are doing a lesson on animals as they will learn a lot from this book but it’s done in a really fun way. I do recommend it, I throughly enjoyed reading it.

[Laura Bontje · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely adorable! The story is so sweet, and I loved the way the little squirrel frolicked through its day, balancing the need for a winter food stash with respect for other animals' winter preparations as well. The rhyming text adds a joyful levity to the story (I particularly enjoyed the page where the squirrel meets a finch), and the few places where a reader might need to nudge a word into the right metre didn't distract from the charm of the story.

Nancy Leschnikoff's whimsical illustrations pair so beautifully with Tracy Gold's delightful text. The colors draw you right in, and I love the little swirls of color that make up the squirrel's soft fur.

This is sure to delight kids who love animals!

I received a digital ARC from the author for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hiding Nuts to Seek is a great fall book for preschool age kids. The story teaches the kids about how squirrels hide food so that they can eat it during the winter when their normal food is scarce, but it does it in a fun way that teaches the kids without them realizing they are learning anything. I loved the illustrations and thought they did a great job of telling the story. I also found it useful and interesting how at the end of the book there were a few pages of facts about squirrels and their habits. This was another great way to help teach our kids about the wildlife around us. I look forward to continuing to read this book to my son this fall.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book to review!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who knows me knows my love of squirrels. Their antics, their chatter, all of it. I know I had to have this book for my collection as soon as I seen the cover. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for a chance to read and review an advanced reader copy.

The art style in this book is really cute and vibrant. I think it matches the story perfectly. I love the education, not only within the story, but included in the back as well. The author includes some various types of squirrels and facts about some of their habits, like seeking and finding food. A super cute book that me and my children really loved and will be adding to our library of books on release day.

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very cute, this rhymed book is a great way to give a very young audience an insight into the ways of the squirrel as it builds a supply of buried nuts and seeds – only to have a lot of it eaten by other squirrels and then forget where the rest was. The text is really brief and readable throughout, until the end-matter which is a bit more involved and mature for us to receive the science – and to see various other species of squirrel from around the world. It looks great, it reads wonderfully, and it's non-fiction – there's nothing to dislike here, and much to recognise it did very well without having to. And that's the mark of a five star book in my mind.

[Chantal Bourgonje · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hide and Seek, Nuts to Eat” by Tracy Gold, is a sweet story, encouraging kindness and sharing, using squirrels and their nut hiding and storing behaviour. It’s a lovely read and beautifully illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff. There’s fun, adventure, laughter and shows us an intrepid, friendly, adventurous squirrel searching for nuts and seeds to hide for his friends to find. Next to being boisterous, he’s considerate towards the other creatures he encounters and manages to hide enough nuts to share with his squirrel friends in the depth of winter. Playfully written, joyful to read out loud and to top it off, there is a fact file at the end of the book, where we learn all about squirrels!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book! If you're not already a fan of our fluffy-tailed friends, you will be by the end of this adorable ode. The playfully rhyming text follows a squirrel through the (literal) ups and downs of his existence, with real appreciation for the ingenuity it takes for a small, tree-dwelling mammal to thrive all four seasons of the year. For being such a pleasure to read, it still manages to impart a lot of information, with a few pages at the end saved for kids who love facts and knowledge with their stories.

[Mary Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for this cute and informative book- Hide and Seek Nuts to Eat by Tracy C Gold. This rhyming book shows how squirrels survive and thrive but hiding nuts, seeds, berries etc to help them survive the winter when food is scarce.Some of the food they don’t find grows into plants and flowers they can enjoy the next year.This book talks about how squirrels live, forage for food and interact with other animals.There are also some great facts about the different types of squirrels in the back of the book.Great for preschool and early elementary school readers.

[Althea Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cute story is told from the prospective of a squirrel who is searching and hiding food for him and his fellow squirrels.

Throughout the story you can sense its determination in finding food for the winter. It's always careful up not take too much, such as the bird seed because it knows the birds need it to.

The story is about kindness and sharing.

The last few pages share facts about squirrels. It also has a few pages with information and pictures of different squirrels found around the world.

[Moni Ritchie Hadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told in rhymes, this adorable book follows a squirrel's quest to stash food, from the beginning of winter to the following fall. Tracy C. Gold's active language and Nancy Leschnikoff's sketchy and colorful art make this an excellent read-aloud for young kids. Backmatter includes information about nine different squirrels from around the world. This book is perfect for seasonal studies in Pre-K and Kinder and for any young nature lover. Thanks to Sourcebooks for the advance copy.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so adorable. The perfect read for little ones in the fall. And the winter and spring! My little guy loved following this protagonist squirrel on his adventures to forage food and be thoughtful of others. He is noticing things in the world around him that he learned from this book! And the informational pages in the back were just as much fun as the rhyming prose throughout the story. Highly recommend!

[S.K. Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids love rhyme, and I can’t think of a better way to hook them on to reading and writing at a young age than with books like this one. It rhymes well and delivers an energetic, familiar, and interesting topic – Squirrels! Along with their interactions as they store food for winter. With interesting and fun facts interspersed throughout the story, the added STEM component makes this story especially attractive for sharing with young readers. Nab this one today!

[Heather Bell]

Children will love seeing life through the eyes of a squirrel, especially with these charming illustrations. A frolicking rhyme takes the reader on a seek-and-find adventure to hide nuts and seeds for the winter. With wonderful backmatter about different squirrels throughout the world and how squirrels use their memories and senses to find their hidden treasures. This would be a great book to discuss seasons as well.

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hide and Seek, Nuts to Eat is a rhyming picture book with an entertaining little squirrel collecting food to see him through the winter. Although fiction and fun, it is realistic in its portrayal of a squirrel hiding his stash. The backmatter brings it home with information about real squirrels and their ability to survive the winter through foraging and stashing away their booty. Also interesting were illustrations of some of the squirrels from around the world.

[Deb Adamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young children will delight in learning more about back yard squirrels through Tracy Gold's jaunty rhyme and Nancy Leschnikoff's bold beautiful illustrations. Informational back matter shares more on squirrel behavior and squirrel species found worldwide. A perfect book for families, libraries, schools and nature centers!

[Laura Roettiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun rhyming book featuring a squirrel who gathers nuts and hides them for when food is scarce in winter. The seeds and nuts not found are new plants in the spring and summer which is a wonderful opportunity for learning and extension activities. I also found the back matter impressive, making this book a sweet book for little ones but also a book that spans to older ages as well.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"An adorable rhyming book with educational nonfiction elements woven in. Perfect for homes, classrooms, and libraries!" Couldn't agree more!!! At first, I thought this will be a "find something" book. But it turned out to be a fun read. How a squirrel found it's foods, kept them and consumed them on winter. Some food they hide and can't be found, will grow into plants they can also eat later on.

[Michelle Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this delightful little book!

All about a little squirrel who is finding and hiding a variety of foods for their winter stash; and how the seeds that weren't found over winter become an abundance of food for them in later seasons.

Adorable illustrations, and a fun, rhyming pattern. I also loved how it gave facts about squirrels at the end.

[Gina Soldano-Herrle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son enjoyed this fun, rhyming story about real squirrel habits. Once we got to the back matter, his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he found out it was all real squirrel behavior! The interactive questions were also fun to have a conversation about squirrels and their differences and similarities to us. Highly recommend!

[Jill S · Rating 5 out of 5]

With fun rhyming and an action-packed story for little ones, young readers will absolutely delight in the adorable squirrel’s journey to find, hide, and share food and eventually contribute to the growth of even more food. I learned a lot about squirrels and I’m sure kids will too. A perfect gift for the young animal lovers in your life!

[Phaea Crede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable rhyming book all about one of the most recognizable animals: squirrels! Kids will love to read this story from the squirrel's perspective. I loved that the squirrel was very kind and made sure everyone had enough food. I also learned about squirrels and how they find their hidden stashes!

[Amanda Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who could resist the adorable little squirrel narrator that takes us on a hide-and-seek journey through the seasons? With playful yet informative rhyme, sweet illustrations, and interesting back matter, HIDE AND SEEK, NUTS TO EAT is sure to be a hit in both home and classroom libraries!

[Patti Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This adorable book is a great introduction to the hoarding habits of squirrels and how they prepare for winter! Perfectly pleasing rhyme and colorful illustrations will have little readers asking for this story again and again!

[Ryann Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how this book can be read to multiple age groups. The story itself is good for younger kids but then there is informational backmatter for older kids and deeper discussion of why squirrels do what they do. Brilliant.