Squirrel and John Muir [Hardcover]

Emily Arnold McCully (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

An outstanding book for young naturalists

Floy Hutchings, also known as Squirrel, is the daughter of the man who opened the first hotel in the Yosemite Valley in the 1860s. She has to fend for herself much of the time and is considered wild by her family and her father's guests. When the future naturalist John Muir is hired as a carpenter, Floy becomes his inquisitive shadow as he builds himself a cabin over a stream, talks to flowers, and listens to snow. Floy, determined never to grow up because she'd have to be a lady, and Muir, searching nature for a way to live free of society's expectations, are primed to find common ground.

In this story set against a backdrop of watercolor paintings that vividly capture the beauty of Yosemite, Floy learns to see the world through John Muir's eyes.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4–Floy, nicknamed Squirrel, lives in the Yosemite Valley with her parents who own and operate a hotel. Her father hires John Muir as a handyman, and his knowledge of the animals, plants, and geology of the region captivates the feisty girl. He spends hours outdoors with her, showing her how to examine insects under a magnifying glass and to recognize glacier trails. But his naive, good humor and rugged, good looks also capture the attention of visitors. A rift develops between John and his boss, so the naturalist decides to move on. Squirrel is devastated but somewhat mollified when he shows her his special mountainside perch, where he assures her she will have her "best thoughts." The afterword explains how this fictionalized retelling of an actual relationship reveals much about the compelling founder of the Sierra Club. Both his gentle personality and steely determination to see his beliefs recognized by his peers come through clearly. On the other hand, Squirrel seems persistently petulant and often downright rude; the abrupt conclusion leaves readers wondering about this rather unlikable heroine. McCully's sure watercolors capture the stunning natural beauty of the area and provide a majestic backdrop for the small figure of Squirrel. This offering is best used to introduce Muir to budding naturalists or to supplement geology and conservation units.–Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. Once again, the creator of the Caldecott Medal winner Mirette on the High Wire (1992) makes a wild, small girl the center of stirring picture-book historical fiction. Floy "Squirrel" Hutchings, six, has always lived in the Yosemite Valley. In 1868, when John Muir finds a job in the hotel owned by Floy's father, the fierce, lonely kid defies the newcomer. But Muir's love for the natural world is contagious, and soon he's teaching Floy how to look closely at the rocks, trails, animals, birds, and plants around her. McCully's beautiful, double-page watercolor landscapes, many in strong shades of green and brown, show and tell how the great conservationist helps Squirrel discover the amazing world where she lives, from the tiniest ant to the towering mountains and valleys formed by glaciers. In an afterword, McCully talks about Muir's later work (he helped create Yosemite National Park and founded the Sierra Club) and about Floy's short life. The contrast between the child's "glowering loneliness" and the rich solitude she finds in nature will move young wilderness lovers profoundly. A bibliography is appended. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (August 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374336970
• ISBN-13: 978-0374336974
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #826,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Emily Arnold McCully was born left handed in Illinois and was transplanted to Long Island, where she grew up. A tree climber, bike rider, fort builder and ball player, she also devoted hours every day to reading and drawing. She majored in art history at college and acted and wrote for the theater. She lived in Europe for a year researching her Master's thesis, also in art history. Back in New York, she took to the streets with a portfolio of sample illustrations. Early assignments were for book jackets, magazine stories and pharmaceutical ads. A poster displayed in subway cars caught the attention of a children's book editor and a new career was launched. After illustrating other peoples' texts for several years and publishing two adult novels (A Craving and life Drawing) McCully began writing her own picture books.
She has been awarded the Caldecott Medal, Christopher Award, Jane Addams Award, O'Henry Award and many others.
She has two sons and lives in New York and Columbia County, N.Y., where she maintains a large garden.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL PAINTINGS ENHANCE A WONDERFUL WORK FOR CHILDREN., September 12, 2009

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Squirrel and John Muir (Hardcover)

All of characters peopling this work actually existed as was and still are the geographical locations. The author has taken this information, the different personalities and traits of each individual character and blended them together into a story that might have been.

This tale is mainly about Floy Hutchings, whose nick name was Squirrel due to her Tom Boy ways, rebellious nature and general free spirit and her encounter with America's most famous Naturalist, John Muir. Around 1868 the Hutchings family owned a hotel and what we would now call a "dude ranch" in the Yosemite valley where Floy pretty well ran wild, causing trouble for not only her family, but also rather annoying the tourist who came to visit. "A very strange little girl," it was noted by more than one visitor! The Hutchings family needed help in constructing some buildings and when John Muir showed up at the front door seeking work he fit the bill, as he was rather skillful in constructing, inventing and handy with tools.

Muir had come to the area to observed, gather facts, write and publish his theories that the region was originally formed my glaciers; a fact which was not accepted in the scientific world at that time.

This entire book is the story of the possible relationship between this wild and rebellious young lady and John Muir who passed his love of nature, the land and his philosophy on to young Floy. Muir was about 30 years old at the time and had not come into his own and was not internationally known as he later become. This story is a sweet one, well told emphasizing the love, wonder, delight and tenderness Muir had toward nature and his ability to pass it on to the next generation.

We have a very well written text here that tells us a story that while probably not absolutely historically accurate, certainly passes along the true spirit and nature of the individuals involved. It is a story that not only might have been, but really should have been.

The art work, in the form of double page water colors is an absolute marvel to examine and relish. The artist, who is also the author, has captured the grandeur of the area perfectly while not neglecting small details while at the same time perfectly portraying Muir, Squirrel and the other characters. Visually this book is a true treat.

The author has provided the reader with a good afterward letting us know, briefly, what became of both Muir and Floy, which I found to be quite interesting.

Now please take note. We have some very nice reviews posted here, but a couple of points must be made. First, Floy (or Squirrel) was NOT Muir's daughter! Secondly, Floy Hutchings did not live to become a famous guide in the park, but was rather killed at the age of 16 in a tragic accident. This in no way should be construed as criticism of these reviews, only a bit of friendly adjusting just to keep the reader straight.

This is a great book to help children become interested in the natural world around them and to introduce them to one of the greatest men in our history. It is a great read along book and a wonderful picture book to just leaf through and enjoy. It belongs in ever library, and indeed, in ever child's private library. This is a work that is a joy to read to the little ones and it leave the reader plenty of room to add more information as the book progresses...I like that.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, January 13, 2008

By 

Dr. Joan E. Aitken "author of Interpersonal C... (Kansas City, MO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Squirrel and John Muir (Hardcover)

This book is about John Muir--an early naturalist in Yosemite Valley who founded the Sierra Club--and his young daughter called "Squirrel" This beautiful picture book is designed for early elementary. I would put together information about Muir--e.g., http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/ --along with photos of Yosemite Valley so the students could imagine what it would be like to want to protect the land. This book would make a good historical bridge to science and environmental studies.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A SPLENDID STORY THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN TRUE, September 12, 2004

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Squirrel and John Muir (Hardcover)

When author/artist Emily Arnold McCully set her sights on famed naturalist John Muir and a little girl whom he met in Yosemite in 1868 the result was a splendid story which isn't totally true - but, it could have been.

At that time Muir was 30-years-old. He'd been to college, worked at several jobs, and felt a strong call to commune with nature and discover its laws. When he arrived in Yosemite hoping to prove his theory of glacial formation, he was hired by James Hutchings, an English journalist bent on attracting tourism to the area. Hutchings was also bent on one other task - taming his spirited daughter, Floy. Here was a girl who never wanted to grow up because then she'd have to be a lady. A thought quite repellant to the rebellious young miss whose nickname was Squirrel. She happily spent hours "talking to the family's pet parrot, balancing on a plank by the woodpile, making mud pies, and capturing frogs."

As the story develops Muir and Squirrel soon become the best of friends as he shows her how to see through his eyes the incredible surroundings in which she lives.

It is not known whether or not Floy grew up to be a lady, but it is known that John Muir became famous and the world has benefitted by what he learned.

- Gail Cooke