Summary
Unhappy about the noise and clutter of the city, a squirrel travels west to find peace and quiet in the forest of giant trees he has heard about.
From the publisher
Bill Peet was the author of 34 books published by Houghton Mifflin. One of these, BILL PEET: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, was named a 1989 Caldecott Honor Book. All of Bill Peet’s books published by Houghton Mifflin Company, including his first book for children published in 1959, HUBERT'S HAIR-RAISING ADVENTURE, remain actively in print today.
In both his career as an author and illustrator of children’s books and in his work as sketch artist and continuity illustrator at Walt Disney, Bill Peet created a menagerie of memorable characters. As he himself noted, "I write about animals because I love to draw them. Most of my animal characters have human personalities, and some are much like the people I know."
At Walt Disney, where Bill Peet worked for 27 years, he was a key participant in the production of classic films such as Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and 101 Dalmatians for which he was not only an artist, but the screenwriter as well.
Bill Peet’s signature style enabled him to create fast-paced stories of fantastical adventure delivered with warmth and laugh-out-loud hilarity. His unfailing humor did not, however, prevent him from addressing such poignant issues as kindness toward others and respect for the environment. Through the exploits of his characters, Peet offered his audience a chance to see themselves and their world through new eyes.
"At some point," Bill Peet once said, "it occurred to me that drawing was something I couldn’t possibly give up, and somehow it must be turned into a profession." He went on to not only fulfill his dream but to introduce generations of young readers to his delightful vision of humor, friendship and compassion.
First line
MERLE WAS A scrawny young squirrel who lived in a big city park up in an oak tree.
Details
-
Title
Merle the High Flying Squirrel
-
Author
Bill Peet Peet
-
Binding
Paperback
-
Edition
Reprint
-
Pages
32
-
Volumes
1
-
Language
ENG
-
Publisher
Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA
-
Date
October 24, 1983
-
ISBN
9780395349236 / 0395349230
-
Weight
0.29 lbs (0.13 kg)
-
Dimensions
9.64 x 7.78 x 0.14 in (24.49 x 19.76 x 0.36 cm)
-
Ages
04 to 07 years
-
Grade levels
P - 2
-
Reading level
750
-
Library of Congress subjects
Squirrels
-
Library of Congress Catalog Number
73018371
-
Dewey Decimal Code
E
Media reviews
"Enjoyable to the last second." Children's Book Review Service
About the author
Bill Peet was the author of 34 books published by Houghton Mifflin. One of these, BILL PEET: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, was named a 1989 Caldecott Honor Book. All of Bill Peet s books published by Houghton Mifflin Company, including his first book for children published in 1959, HUBERT'S HAIR-RAISING ADVENTURE, remain actively in print today.
In both his career as an author and illustrator of children s books and in his work as sketch artist and continuity illustrator at Walt Disney, Bill Peet created a menagerie of memorable characters. As he himself noted, "I write about animals because I love to draw them. Most of my animal characters have human personalities, and some are much like the people I know."
At Walt Disney, where Bill Peet worked for 27 years, he was a key participant in the production of classic films such as Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and 101 Dalmatians for which he was not only an artist, but the screenwriter as well.
Bill Peet s signature style enabled him to create fast-paced stories of fantastical adventure delivered with warmth and laugh-out-loud hilarity. His unfailing humor did not, however, prevent him from addressing such poignant issues as kindness toward others and respect for the environment. Through the exploits of his characters, Peet offered his audience a chance to see themselves and their world through new eyes.
"At some point," Bill Peet once said, "it occurred to me that drawing was something I couldn t possibly give up, and somehow it must be turned into a profession." He went on to not only fulfill his dream but to introduce generations of young readers to his delightful vision of humor, friendship and compassion.
"