On Beebz' Bookshelf: Norbert and the Elusive Acorns by Peter Martz

Norbert and the Elusive Acorns is a children's ebook for ages 3-5 by author, musician, and illustrator Peter Martz. It is the delightfully illustrated tale of Norbert, a squirrel who loves his acorns. Finding his supply depleted, Norbert embarks on a journey in search of a new acorn supply. Along the way, he encounters frustrations and setbacks. But ever determined, positive, clever, and resourceful, the little squirrel stays focused, overcomes obstacles, and remains committed to his goal.

Everything about this book is appealing. The pictures are cute and colorful. The main character is thoroughly likable, and his intelligence, resourcefulness, and determination shows that the author understands and appreciates the nature and personality of real squirrels. I believe this is a real benefit because children who read this book will easily be able to identify Norbert with the wild squirrels that they see in their own backyards and neighborhood parks.

The story is told in rhyming verse, and again, I think this is perfectly executed. The vocabulary and concepts are simple enough to be easily understood by children in the 3-7 year age group, with vivid descriptions accompanying the pictures, and an interesting plot that moves along quickly.

This is just the kind of book that I would have loved to get for my son when he was a child. I highly recommend that you follow the link below to get this ebook on Kindle from Amazon. You can also visit the author's website at www.skwirlboi.com, where you can find coloring and activity pages, sign up for a newsletter, and read the author's blog.

The World's Creepiest Chef?

As I've said before on this blog, I am not morally or politically opposed to eating meat. I have been a part time, on-and-off vegetarian over the last three years or so. I do feel strongly that western countries seriously need to reduce their consumption of meat. I believe that meat should be at most just one component of ones diet, not the central focus of it. I am uncomfortable with those who make a fetish of meat and glorify the killing of animals. And I abhor modern factory farming and other needlessly cruel methods of raising and slaughtering of animals for food.

Which is why I am bothered by the popularity of Canadian chef Martin Picard. I had never heard of chef Picard until I saw an article today about his new cookbook, Sugar Shack Au Pied de Cochon. He recently was the center of a controversy when he withdrew from a food festival in Ottawa rather than give in to activists who objected to the inclusion of foie gras on his menu. The new cookbook includes two recipes, "confederation beaver" and "squirrel sushi," that I and, I hope, almost any reasonable person will find disturbing.

What bothers me is not so much that these animals are used for food--after all, why should eating a beaver or a squirrel be any more upsetting than eating a cow or a pig?--but the mocking and gratuitously grizzly manner in which the animals are prepared and presented. The squirrel recipe, which is probably the most disturbing, is served accompanied by the tail, the paws, and the head, which are not to be eaten but are simply arranged on the plate to mimic the appearance of the living animal. The recipes are accompanied by graphic photographs.

The beaver recipe is presented in a similarly grotesque manner. I find it incomprehensible that any sane diner would react with anything but horror upon being presented with this pathetic dish. In fact, if I had seen this photograph outside of the context of the article, I would have assumed that it was a joke.

I can not help but think that these recipes are not to be taken seriously, but are in fact Martin Picard's revenge on the animal welfare advocates who brought about his withdrawal from the Ottawa Food Festival. Chef Picard makes two claims that are quoted in the article that I find laughable. The first is that he is "not political." And the second is that he is "very respectful of animals." Respectful? I can't comprehend how anybody could look at the photo above and think that chef Picard has one milligram of respect for the squirrel that he butchered to create that dish.

Squirrel Book Recommendation for Squirrel Appreciation Day

That's right, it's just two days away. If you need some inspiration on ways to make this a special day for you and your favorite rodent friends, here are some great ideas from the National Wildlife Federation.

One of their suggestions, which I definitely endorse, is to find a book on squirrels and learn more about them. In addition to the books that they recommend, I have recently been reading Squirrel Book by Eugene Kinkead. Mr. Kinkead wrote for the New Yorker magazine for several decades, where he specialized in stories related to wildlife and natural history. In the 1970s he wrote an article on the squirrels of Central Park, which proved so popular with squirrel lovers that he was inspired to write this book on the eastern gray squirrel, which was published in 1980. The book contains a wealth of factual information, but also reflects the author's own fondness for squirrels. Some of the most interesting sections are based on the author's correspondence with squirrel lovers who wrote to him after his original article was published, telling stories of their own encounters with squirrels.

You probably won't be able to find Squirrel Book at any of your local book stores, as it is no longer in print. You may be able to check out a copy at your local public library, which is where I found it. You can also order a used copy from Amazon at a very reasonable price.

The Adventures of Unemployed Man

I want this graphic novel!