  | No! said Custard the Squirrel Author: Ruzzier, Sergio | |
| Price: $21.68 | ||
Summary:
A duck who identifies as a squirrel turns down the requests of a persistent companion.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 1.70 Points: .5 Quiz: 518816 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (07/15/22)
Booklist (08/01/22)
The Hornbook (00/09/22)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 08/01/2022 In contrast to the usual run of naysaying picture-book toddlers, Custard isn’t being contrary but confidently asserting their identity as a squirrel—despite having the feathers, feet, and bill of a duck. In Ruzzier’s sparsely detailed scenes, Custard offers monosyllabic responses to a series of challenges from what seems like an increasingly frazzled opossum: admit to having a silly name (“No”), take a swim (“No,” Custer says, climbing into a sailboat instead), quack, eat some weeds, and lay an egg. Custer's answer stays the same: “No,” “No,” “No.” At last a despairing, “Custard the Squirrel, do you only answer ‘No’?” brings a change of tune (“Yes!”) that at least provides a punch line, along with a sense of resolution. If there’s any value to this beyond suggesting a fun role-playing game, Custard’s serene refusals may strike a chord in readers who reject being saddled with predetermined or neatly delimited tags. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
