School Library Journal

In 1792 Quebec, an intrepid red squirrel invites himself along on a trading expedition by a group of eight white human Quebecois traders—all named Jean—known as “voyageurs.” Of course, Jean Pierre Petit Le Rouge (Little Red) doesn’t know the trip is ultimately about animal pelts; to him it’s a chance to see more of the world as they journey northward on and off the calm Canadian waters in their birchbark canoe. Much like Jean Van Leeuwen’s 1970’s “Marvin the Magnificent” series, here is an irrepressibly charming and energetic furry narrator who interacts with simplistic humans on his own terms, whether or not the unimportant men understand him. Only the book-loving Jean can interpret meaning from Le Rouge’s squirrel-talk, while the rest consider putting him in their ragoût... one of many French words flavoring the adventure. Three- to five-page chapters, each accompanied with one or more intricate, expressive gray pencil illustrations, break the events into perfect bedtime-chapter-sized portions. A well-written, sweet, simple, satisfying, and good-natured animal story that sheds light on a little-explored era of history.