Customer Reviews

Ereth's Birthday (Tales from Dimwood Forest)

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Ereth returns in this, the fourth book in the Dimwood Forest series. I am a fourth and fifth grade teacher. I have read the entire series to my students and they absolutely love it! The classic battle between good and evil and through it all, Ereth's wonderful, hilariously scathing view of all around him---except Poppy, of course! In this book, Ereth experiences all of the joys of parenthood, even if it was by accident! This book simply flows along. My students did not want it to end, and neither did I!

Now you can read Tales from Dimwood Forest in the proper order, Ragweed, Poppy, Poppy & Rye, and the last, Ereth's own book, Ereth's Birthday. It is so funny! The best of the series!

Our teacher read the book Ereth's Birthday to us. We thought it was hilarious. We think every class should hear this book read aloud.

Ereth was disappointed that Poppy wasn't waiting for him on his birthday with a present. He got angry and took a walk in the forest. While on his walk in the forest he found a mother fox whimpering in a trap. Ereth promised the dying fox that he would take care of her kits. Little did he know, Marty the fisher was stalking him. Ereth had so much fun taking care of the foxes that he didn't realize he was being hunted.

We would recommend purchasing this great book that is filled with funny alliterations from Ereth and lots of adventure.

Erethizon Dorsatum - better known as Ereth, the self-centered, foul-tempered old porcupine - is having a birthday. And he fully expects his best friend Poppy, a deer mouse, to help him celebrate in a grand manner. But Poppy has gone off somewhere with her husband, Rye, and it appears she has forgotten all about it. "Belching Beavers," says Ereth, "I am not angry!" (Though, perhaps he is - and more than just a little.)

Ereth knows his special occasion deserves a special treat - even if he has to get it for himself. And what treat could be more special than tasty salt? But the nearest salt is located deep in the forest, in a cabin occupied by fur hunters, who have set out traps to capture the Dimwood Forest animals. In one of the traps, Ereth finds Leaper the Fox - who, with her dying breath, begs the prickly porcupine to take care of her three boisterous young kits, Tumble, Nimble, and Flip. "Jellied walrus warts!" Ereth exclaims, but reluctantly agrees.

Certainly this day is not going as he planned - and it's only just the beginning! Not only does Ereth suddenly have a rambunctious new family to take care of, but he's being stalked by Marty the Fisher, the one creature in Dimwood Forest who can do him harm. And Bounder, the father of the three little foxes, remembers all too well the nose full of quills he got a while back from the grumpy old animal who now fancies himself the leader of the den. He too sets out to show Ereth who's boss. Throw in an unexpected snowstorm, and all in all, it adds up to one brithday Ereth the porcupine is never going to forget.

He is dumpy and grumpy, he is old and bold, underneath his dagger-sharp quills is a warm-blooded heart...

It's hard not to be bewitched by this guy, Ereth the porcupine, especially his unique communication style and his adventurous parenthood with three young foxes. The plotting and the dialogue are thumpingly fun, and the father fox is such great entertaining as well. What a wonderful reading time with my 9-year-old daughter this summer!

Sometimes life is unpredictable and may not seem to be the way we wanted, but gradually the mysteries will be revealed. Just be patient and smile.

I am the reviwer of Chicago and Alice and Wonderalnd. Ereth's Birthday shocked my life! It's comedy, song, action, drama, and sandness! I loved this book and you will to! There is only one bad scary part for some children, a mother wolf dies in a claw trap, and there is a picture with blood. But, other than that, the book is fine!

Ereth's Birthday is a book that is exiting, full of adventure, and hilrious. It was Ereth the porcupine birthday so some mice and Ereth's best frind Poppy, a mouse came. Ereth gotgrumpy and dicided he did not want them right then, so he left. Ereth went by a house and heard people talking then, the people left. Ereth saw that there was salt and he loved salt but he heard creing so he went there. I am not going to spoil it for you but, some how he got stuck with 3 little foxes. When he got there he did not know how to do it.
The book was hilarious because Ereth would talk to the foxes in this really weird way. He'd make them do chores yelling at the top ofhis lungs. Ereth made them hunt for there food, and they did not know a thing abote hunting. They finally got their ways though. Read Ereths Birthday because it is a great book and you will not want to go some other plase you will not want to go some other plese you want to ceep reading.

By Jamie Age 9

You know the old, grouchy, self-centered Ereth, Right? Well, in this book Ereth's Birthday, Avi explains Ereth's true feelings, fear, empathy and all. When Ereth runs away because he thinks that Poppy forgot him, a fisher goes after him. Not long after, Ereth meets an almost dead Fox and her last request is for him to take care of her kits. Will Ereth do this good deed? If so will he make a good foster parent/guardian. If the real dad comes home will he be angry?

Ereth was an old grouchy, self-centered porcupine. He was old because he was born many years ago. He was grouchy because he was always cursing and swearing saying things like "salamander-sap salad" and "Monkey marbols." He was self-centered because on his birthday she ran away not caring what his best friend next door neighbor thought.

By the end of the book, Ereth was still old and grouchy in a good way. He tried to change and from what I know he was succeeding. He was caring because he accepted the mother Fox's pleading and tried to be nice.

I recommend this book to absolutely everyone. If you want to read this book, I recommend you read Poppy, the first book in the series, first. Avi is a great writer. If you don't believe me, then read it for yourself!

Ereth, the grumpy porcupine in Dimwood Forest, loves salt. And on his birthday, which comes but once a year, he wants some salt. He's going to get some, even if it means going into a house--with HUMANS.

Unfortunately, en route, he encounters cries for help which even a grump like Ereth cannot ignore. The calls are from a dying fox, for whom Ereth unthinkingly promises to fulfill a last wish, before even hearing it--namely to visit her den and care for her kits.

Several zippered horse zits, jellied walrus warts, puckered peacocks and sour snake sauces on spaghetti later, Ereth finds himself amid a pack of young foxes explaining the recent events.

Kids love this book, especially the ending, in which Ereth is gifted with his hearts' desire--but not before a passel of further, page-turning adventures.

---Alyssa A. Lappen

Not the best for very young children, because a fox dies, this book is a meloncholy story in the beginning. It makes you see what Ereth thought like. Good book to read eventuallly, but for readers who can take it. a good story about a good deed.