Tag Love SSega

Squirrel Shady: The Golden Acorn / The Elementals: Peo Saves the Trees

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Squirrel Shady: The Golden Acorn
Nick East
Scholastic

If ever there was a zany story full of twists and turns and ups and downs both physical and mental, then this tale of Shady Squirrel’s attempt to steal the Golden Acorn of Destiny is it.
Meet Shady a crook who’s found himself back in Badun Island Prison, cell 101, the worst of all cells, with only a gang of beetles for company until that is, he gets a snake as cell mate, one Nadia Scales and she has an escape plan in her mind. And escape is what both Shady and Nadia manage to do.

Pretty soon Shady is back in his hidey-hole in an oak tree. However his freedom is very short lived for suddenly he’s seized by the neck and dragged before tortoise crime boss, Naughty Tortie, who wants Shady to rob the Big City Bank and steal the Golden Acorn from Mayor Vixford Slick’s vault. Trouble is there’s no refusing Tortie and so begins the mega-heist of Shady’s career.

Almost immediately he becomes reunited with Roxy ‘the Paws’ racoon, his old pal cum partner in crime. Enter Tina Two Hoots, Shady’s erstwhile hero, who has taken up knitting. She is just one of the criminal creatures – rivals or otherwise – that he encounters. Will Shady manage to get his paws on the loot or will it slip from his grasp?

With a wealth of Nick’s amusing black and white illustrations adding to the fun, this is a book for readers who enjoy a tale full of crazy shenanigans. I read it in a single sitting.

The Elementals: Peo Saves the Trees
Love Ssega, illustrated by Erika Meza
Little Tiger

The Elementals are an adventure loving group of friends who are learning to use their superpowers to care for our world. Like the other children on their island home of Sealand, each has a power that connects them to nature. Peo and her twin brother Elu are children of the soil and Wanzu is connected to the wind.

As the story starts Peo asks Wanzu for his help before taking her friend to meet her and Elu’s grandparents. Then the following morning Peo tells the others that to her surprise, it seems as though the trees are trying to talk to her. There’s a message calling for help from an island close by. Using Elder Oak as their raft, off they sail – the twins, plus Maali and Kikay, with Wanzu playing his harp to speed them on their mission, towards what they think is an island of trees. When they arrive though, all the trees have gone. Now it’s up to the friends to work together, solve the mystery and save the trees. But where and how have they gone and why?

With its combination of friendship, adventure, co-operation and the outdoors, plus Erika Meza’s black and white illustrations. this is a great story for new solo readers or for sharing with a class.

The Elementals: Wanzu Sets Sail / Marty Moose: The Great Stamp-ede

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The Elementals: Wanzu Sets Sail
Love SSega, illustrated by Erika Meza
Little Tiger

Eight year old Wanzu lives on Sealand with his wise grandma, Jjajja. Every child on this island is linked to one of the elements: air, earth, fire, water but whereas all his friends have found their powers, Wanzu hasn’t. Then one day he notices that his grandma is worried. It’s on account of the unsettled weather and unusually high tides. Out on his raft he starts playing his harp and singing, when a dolphin appears. Mr Dolphin has a message for Wanzu’s Jjajja about the rising waters and an impending storm. The dolphin adds that Wanzu has an important role to play.

It’s not long before he finds himself leading a perilous rescue mission, travelling by sea, that takes him and his friends on a hazardous journey away from the island. They travel to such magical places as Taiaroa Heights where they meet some helpful albatrosses and Beaver Island where they learn useful things, all the while working (and sometimes singing) together to solve the problems they encounter. Can they find a way to prevent the water from rising? Will Wanzu discover his element during the adventure and if so what is it?

Teamwork is key in this unusual story and there’s an important environmental message about managing the waterways, not only for the present but also for future generations. Recommended for readers around Wanzu’s age who are taking off as solo readers.

Marty Moose: The Great Stamp-ede
Claire Powell
Walker Books

This is a very funny follow-up, or should we say chase-up to First Class Mischief starring a Postmouse and his sidekick Nibbles. On any normal day Marty would be setting off on his round but today is not a normal day. It’s the annual Fastest Feathers Race, a strictly birds only event. Little Ditch’s post office is closed. Excitement is extra high as the prize this year is a golden egg, with Betty Beaker the absolute favourite.

With a large number of Little Ditchers gathered on the sidelines, Hurricane Honk official race judge, approaches Marty in a bit of a bother. He hasn’t received the golden egg (apparently he’d gone for a quick quiff and missed the delivery. He asks Marty to retrieve the prize and get it back to the finishing line before the end of the race. ‘Panicking postbags’ thinks the mouse but agrees to go.

Off he sets with loyal Nibbles on a madcap chase that entails navigating a dangerously shaking tree – THUNK, TWACK, negotiating a foggy forest, a set to with a pair of dastardly ducks that aren’t really ducks at all but ferret bandits, hitching a ride on Tank the bull and a surprising prize for the winner.…

A ridiculous romp that races along (in places) with highly dramatic illustrations; it will have readers wriggling on their rears.