Little Tricker the Squirrel Meets Big Double the Bear [Turtleback]

Ken Kesey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1992

The author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and an American Book Award-winning artist relate Tricker's battle to outsmart Big Double, who descends from the mountains one morning to terrorize the creatures of Topple's Bottom. Reprint. AB. SLJ.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Little Tricker must think quickly when the double-hungry bear "comestet kabooming through the Bottom like a freight druvstet by the Devil himself, or at least his next hottest hollerer"--and indeed he does, concocting a scheme that not only outwits the bear but forever puts an end to his rampages. This tall tale from the Ozarks serves as a fine vehicle for Kesey ( One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest ; Sometimes a Great Notion ), proving ample enough for his quirky vision and his freewheeling use of language--his dialogue crackles, his forceful images and metaphors tumble one after another in an inexorable rush. Moser's watercolors capture the strange, strong flavor of the tale and provide emphatic, snapshot-like portraits of its characters. His view of Big Double, for example--dressed in jeans, T-shirt and wool cap; potbellied, with a twig drooping cigarette-like from his mouth; and leaning belligerently on a post--leaves no doubt that the bear is, as Tricker shrewdly calculates, a simple rough-hewn bully with far more brawn than brains. All ages.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-- Big Double the Bear comes down from the high ridges one fine fall morning, terrorizing the creatures of Topple's Bottom until Tricker the Squirrel defeats him through courage and cunning. The characters are reminiscent of those in the Brer Rabbit stories, and the plot is similar to "Sody Salleratus" from Richard Chase's Grandfather Tales (Houghton, 1973). But this story is Kesey's own, told in a vigorous, colorful style that invites reading aloud, demonstrating how much new life can be breathed into old stories with rich and vital language. His style brings each character into sharp focus, and that style is perfectly matched by Moser's sly, witty, and wonderfully evocative full-page watercolors, among his best yet, employing varying perspectives and a highly effective use of light and shadow. An exceptionally well-designed book with a fine juxtaposition of text, pictures, and generous margins, this one is sure to be a favorite. --Connie C. Rockman, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Turtleback: 26 pages
• Publisher: Demco Media (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 060601716X
• ISBN-13: 978-0606017169
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,813,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ken Kesey was born in Colorado in 1935. He founded the Merry Pranksters in the sixties and became a cult hero, a phenomenon documented by Tom Wolfe in his book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. He died in 2001.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely perfect, January 14, 2000

By 

Helena Jole (Washington state) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Tricker the Squirrel Meets Big Double the Bear (Picture Puffins Series) (Paperback)

The illustrations are drop-dead gorgeous but the story really steals the show. My husband and I are always quoting from this one--"and then I'm gonna DRINK SOME BUTTERMILK!" I love the dialect and the wonderful similies ("like an elevator up a greasy groove"). Can't wait to have kids so I can read it to them.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read-aloud Pizzazz well received by 3rd Grade class, June 2, 2003

By 

Friend to Flickers (North Bend, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Tricker the Squirrel Meets Big Double the Bear (Hardcover)

Looking for a smart, funny, verbal frenzy to delight school-age audiences? This one is a MUST DO! Reading it with carte blanche playfulness a la "Southrin' Stah-yle" you will have as much FUN reading this one aloud as any of your listeners. Don't forget to glance up now and then to see all the twinkling eyes. I read this two years ago and maybe stunned the 1st graders into silence with the roaring of the bear but the 3rd grade today quickly piped in the chorus of "...EAT...YOU... UP!!" (heavy emphasis on the "puh!") Dare I say more fun than sharing the stories of Brer' Rabbit? Same vein, but updated/smarter/slicker with Kesey's savvy vocabulary. (4.9 AR level - or, "fourth grade, ninth month" for independent readers). Anyone who loves language, acting, humorous moral tales will LOVE this one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read-aloud!, November 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Tricker the Squirrel Meets Big Double the Bear (Picture Puffins Series) (Paperback)

I loved reading this book to kids in the library. It has tons of great adjectives. It's full of fun and keeps kids guessing as to 'what will happen next?' I want to own this book!