I don’t know about you, but I’m in the mood for a good laugh right about now. Mika Song delivers those laughs in this hilarious entry level graphic novel, Donut Feed the Squirrels. Two best squirrel buds smell pancakes (read maple syrup) one morning and it’s all hijinks from there. A food truck, a roller skate, a squirrel gang, a retired squirrel, this book has it all and then some.
Seriously, what it really has is so many things that will both appeal to a wide audience of young readers, and also serve as a mentor text for my real instructional passion, WRITING!
Here are some of the ways that you might mine this short chapter book
- What is the problem that the squirrels are having? How is this a trouble story? How did the author, Mika Song, get the squirrels into and out of trouble.
- How did she stay close to the truth? What could have really happened with some squirrels, some donuts, and a food truck?
- Check out how she moved the story forward. What elements did she use dialogue, words, or pictures to tell?
- Did you notice she leaves us hanging in the end? What might the next story in Norma and Belly’s series be?
Students can retell, shift, and write on with Norma and Belly’s saga. They can invent their own graphic novels about wildlife and situations in their environment. I don’t know about you, but the birds, the squirrels, the deer, the raccoons, and the chipmunks in my yard are a constant source of imaginary dialogue.
