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 ( )

First book I read by myself ( )

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

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. ( )