Squirrel and Bird

By Author / Illustrator

Laura Baker, Stacey Thomas

Genre

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Age range(s)

Publisher

Little Tiger

ISBN

9781838917203

Format

Hardback

Published

02-10-2025

Synopsis

A smart, funny, visually striking picture book about identity, self-expression, and refusing to be defined by just one thing.

Meet Squirrel. Squirrel is LOUD. Meet Bird. Bird is quiet. They are complete opposites. And that's all you need to know. The end. Or is it . . . ? A story that encourages us to embrace the wonderful variety of traits that makes us who we are.

This cleverly crafted story flips labels upside down, proving that nobody can be summed up in a single word. Written with wit by Laura Baker and illustrated by debut talent Stacey Thomas, this playful, thought-provoking book will have children discovering hidden layers of meaning on every page. A joyful celebration of self-acceptance, it encourages and empowers kids to embrace every part of themselves - loud, quiet, or somewhere in between.

Ideal for fans of Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival, Odd Dog Out by Rob Biddulph and You Matter by Christian Robinson, this beautifully illustrated book features a modern, limited colour palette that makes every page a work of art.

A must-have for parents, teachers, and anyone seeking inclusive, confidence-boosting picture books about being unapologetically you.

Download Extract

Reviews

Sue

Squirrel and Bird are very different. Squirrel is really loud, confident and always busy whereas Bird is really quiet, shy and prefers to sit and do nothing. Yes, they are really different…or are they?

This delightful picture book challenges readers to consider how they view others, encouraging the idea that everyone is an individual with many facets to their personality. Having worked in schools all my working life, quick snap generalisations of children as 'good', 'naughty', 'cheeky' etc have always annoyed me as no one should be judged as one dimensional. Squirrel and Bird is perfect for challenging this notion!

An unseen narrator introduces Squirrel and Bird, emphasising their difference. Bird is annoyed by these comments and readers will enjoy noticing that the narrator’s commentary is not a true reflection of what they are actually feeling! Eventually, it all gets too much for Bird, who demands that the narrator recognises that there is so much more to Squirrel and Bird than they (the narrator) gives them credit for and starts to rewrite the story with a more perceptive commentary!

The illustrations are simply lovely, using muted, sepia tones and are full of details for children to notice and enjoy. Bird's comments are presented in a flowing, cursive script, allowing readers to differentiate between their thoughts and the narrator's commentary.

The story is both thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable and would make an excellent book to share with any class of any age to encourage discussion about how we see others, how we see ourselves and how we are all a complex mix of different things at different times.

Picture book / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Stephanie

Squirrel and Bird is a beautifully illustrated story about identity and our perceptions of others. We're told repeatedly in the book that Squirrel is loud and Bird is quiet, Squirrel is busy, Bird is not… but look closer on the page, and you'll find things aren't quite as we're told!

A really lovely, gentle tale showing that we can't all be defined by a single word - sometimes we can be loud and confident, while other times we can be quiet and shy!

Witty text with interjections from Bird make reading fun, and stunning illustrations add humour, especially when Bird gets fed up and grows in size across the page… a lovely picture book, recommended.

Picture book / Reviewed by Stephanie Gladdish