Joan Kessler

Being a classic film fan, I really enjoyed inhabiting the world of 1937 Hollywood. I loved the appearances of real-life movie stars and the behind-the-scenes look at the studios. It was a fun read. Looking forward to the next one.

When I began writing this book, I thought it was going to be a picture book. Nineteen hand-written pages later, I realized a bigger story was unfolding, and I was brave enough to go on the journey. I am so glad I did! I love this story, and more to the point, I still love it! I love inhabiting the delightfully quirky world of the Pinetails, with pine-needlepoint, Grandpa Hickory's stories (Uncle Ned's House is based on a true event), and the madcap Nut Gig. A particularly favorite day of writing was the day I wrote the songs. I was living in California at the time and had the pleasure of sitting pool-side one afternoon while I wrote the lyrics at an umbrella-covered table. That was the berries, and how!
I still enjoy the antics of squirrels, watching them conquering the anti-squirrel bird feeder (as if there is such a thing!), or leaping off our garage roof onto a tree that is just a wee bit further away than they thought.
This is a peachy-keen read for squirrel watchers, kids, or kids at heart!

I only wish it were illustrated.

I remember being so enthralled by the artwork in this book. I also loved the rhyme and rhythm of the story.

I just loved Curious George books as an early reader. They always made me so happy!

I so loved this book when I was a little girl. My little copy has a blue cover, and it sits out on my book shelf. Just seeing it reminds me of how magical it was to me, how much I wanted to go to the island with the kittens and have pearls of my own.

I may have been little, but I thought it was amazing what one could do with a crayon. Brilliant!

I loved this book when I was a child. The relationship between Mildred and Harvey was so honest and real, it was instantly relatable. I loved especially the color illustrations and I remember wanting to be in the book's world so much!