Bird and Squirrel outwit Cat and become best friends in this zany adventure. Squirrel is afraid of his own shadow. Bird doesn't have a care in the world. And Cat wants to eat Bird and Squirrel. Of course, he'll have to catch them first, and that's not going to be easy. Join this trio as they head south for the winter in a hilarious road trip. But watch out! Cat is waiting around every bend, and he's one pesky feline. Gr 5-8-Bird and Squirrel are unlikely friends. Bird is carefree, reckless, and always looking at the bright side of situations. Squirrel is nervous, pragmatic, and easily frightened. In an apparent homage to Aesop, the story begins with Squirrel anxiously gathering acorns for the winter while Bird flies around without any worries or responsibilities until he discovers that he's being stalked by a malicious cat. Despite the fact that he doesn't want to get involved, he finds himself coming to Bird's assistance and, after Squirrel's acorn trove is destroyed, the pair sets off on a southward adventure to escape the cold of winter and the cat's wrath. On the way, they encounter much comical misfortune and learn important lessons about friendship, teamwork, and enjoying life to its fullest. Young readers will enjoy the dynamic between the quirky duo and the humorous situations (and the clever yet slapstick ways in which they deal with them). The brightly colored panels and cartoon artwork attract the eye and complement the engaging, fast-paced story.-Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Praise for Bird & Squirrel: "The easy-to-follow panels offer a great introduction for readers interested in trying their first graphic novel, and the warm, engaging art has the same vibrant energy of a beloved Saturday morning cartoon." -- Booklist "The character design is astounding." -- Kirkus Reviews "Burks' comic-strip-like panels utilize zesty colors, bold compositions, and varying perspectives to create plenty of visual interest." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "A bright medley of friendship, problem-solving, and identity ideal for emerging readers looking for the next step up from leveled readers." -- Kirkus Reviews "Burks continues to prove a wonderful storyteller with his vivid artwork, which will engage the most reluctant of readers. A must-own for graphic novel collections." -- School Library Journal This is Squirrel. He’s afraid of his own shadow. This is Bird. He doesn’t have a care in the world. And this is Cat. He wants to eat Bird and Squirrel. But he’ll have to catch them first, and that’s not going to be easy. Join this hilarious trio as they head south for the winter. But watch out! Cat is waiting around every bend, and he’s one pesky feline! James Burks has spent the last fifteen years working in the animation industry on various movies and television shows, including THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE, ATLANTIS, TREASURE PLANET, SPACE JAM, THE IRON GIANT, WOW WOW WUBBZY, and most recently on FAN BOY & CHUM CHUM. BIRD & SQUIRREL ON THE RUN is his first graphic novel for Scholastic. James lives in Valencia, California.