The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel

A squirrel gets himself into trouble with a weasel, because of his saucy tongue. He quits his home for a while, but in looking for a new place to live only lands in more difficulties. Chatterer finds himself trapped by the farmer's boy, and although his cage is quite comfortable and free of dangers he pines for his freedom. By the end of his stay in the farmer's shed, the little squirrel has realized the value of freedom, who his friends really are, and that first impressions aren't always accurate. I really liked this little story. It's got an old-fashioned voice which I enjoy. The morals come across clearly but don't feel too heavy-handed either.

from the Dogear Diary

Curious and mischievous, Chatterer the Red Squirrel gets himself into all kinds of trouble in the Green Forest. As he encounters a series of predators and makes new friends, he learns valuable lessons about bravery, trust, and the importance of thinking before acting.

This was the first book by Thornton W. Burgess I read as a child. I went on to amass quite a collection of his books, but I will never forget poor Chatterer being locked up in a cage. Burgess' stories have quite an "anti-hunting" bias, which did affect me. They are still good books, but are dated in their language and attitudes.

This was a good book, although the LibriVox edition had some of the chapters out of order.

I couldn't get through it. Not my kind of whimsy or moralizing.

First book I read by myself