List Price: $24.00 Details

Save: $9.50 (40%)

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime & FREE Returns

FREE delivery Friday, April 22 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon

Or fastest delivery Wednesday, April 20. Order within 21 hrs 16 mins

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

[{"displayPrice":"$14.50","priceAmount":14.50,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"50","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"gp1JfRARZN9ADmcD9EKgZYRU8f5gaP1cbPUYWf%2F2MenYb8YEQ6nRykWAFPgLipvLo7kDkGCEOfII4hZ2iMWQNMxMAlxp27VhAyyEnM27N6FFeYoFpDNtWke6otXPxo2Yg6VsSiAs2lWGzkWaJ%2FUn6hIxuVUYVru7G87ewbLzKM6xHCGK21nwWr2bZOcSb5CG","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW"},{"displayPrice":"$8.14","priceAmount":8.14,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"14","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"bw2AfdDz5ZZlgIynIbVZi3JfjVrxYhL1IQVE8XtIdjAu1s%2BFs90tgx9P2aJgivf56uep%2BLSj8ZpYFlskGHxOUKCtr9AOQXjlM6Ne2LjiMU%2ByQ30PTUAApjbVZUmHLjMcRcAxh8un9BC8cLVU%2FAbm2PfFLuOZMUR6qhRjPiZ%2B4WMrOJwRS16XsQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED"}]

$$14.50 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from

Amazon

Sold by

And Ampersands

Details

Ships from

Amazon

Sold by

And Ampersands

Return policy: Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Friday, April 22 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon. Order within 21 hrs 16 mins

Or fastest delivery Thursday, April 21

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Vivé Liber Books LLC

Fulfilled by Amazon

Share <Embed>

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

Added

Not added

$11.99
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: YourOnlineBookstore

Added

Not added

$8.00
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: PHIMARREM Enterprises LLC

Added

Not added

$24.00
FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.

Sold by: Amazon.com

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Follow the Author

David Sedaris

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary Hardcover – Illustrated, September 28, 2010

by David Sedaris (Author), Ian Falconer (Illustrator)

887 ratings

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$10.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$14.50

$4.98

$0.55

Paperback, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$11.15

$7.00

$1.24

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$39.99

$4.12

Enhance your purchase

Featuring David Sedaris's unique blend of hilarity and heart, this new collection of keen-eyed animal-themed tales is an utter delight. Though the characters may not be human, the situations in these stories bear an uncanny resemblance to the insanity of everyday life.

In "The Toad, the Turtle, and the Duck," three strangers commiserate about animal bureaucracy while waiting in a complaint line. In "Hello Kitty," a cynical feline struggles to sit through his prison-mandated AA meetings. In "The Squirrel and the Chipmunk," a pair of star-crossed lovers is separated by prejudiced family members.

With original illustrations by Ian Falconer, author of the bestselling Olivia series of children's books, these stories are David Sedaris at his most observant, poignant, and surprising.

Print length

159 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Little, Brown and Company
Publication date

September 28, 2010
Dimensions

5.63 x 0.88 x 7.25 inches
ISBN-10

0316038393
ISBN-13

978-0316038393
See all details

Frequently bought together

David Sedaris
3,758
Paperback
417 offers from $0.99
David Sedaris
4,391
Paperback
84 offers from $3.37
David Sedaris
4,164
Paperback
166 offers from $1.71
David Sedaris
1,543
Paperback
186 offers from $1.03
David Sedaris
2,588
Paperback
198 offers from $0.99
David Sedaris
1,324
Paperback
389 offers from $0.99

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The ancient Greeks had Aesop, seventeenth-century French people read the fables of La Fontaine, and now we, jaded inhabitants of the modern era, possess the distinct privilege to enjoy the beloved Sedaris’ first collection of short animal tales. The appeal of this aesthetically pleasing little volume is inherent, as the American ambassador of the comedy memoir, human division, turns now to creatures of the hoofed and winged variety to make us laugh and, perhaps, learn a lesson. Illustrations by Falconer (of the Olivia children’s books) are a perfect pairing for Sedaris’ stories (both writer and illustrator have been published extensively in the New Yorker). In Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, foibled fabular heroines are given the opportunity to, finally, display all those humanlike thoughts and behaviors they’ve been banned from for ages. There’s the motherless bear who alienates herself with her incessant, self-centered solicitations of pity, and the potbellied pig who, no matter the diet, just can’t lose his breed-inherited descriptor. It’s impossible to imagine the brainstorm that conjured up these absurd, animated tales, but readers will certainly be grateful that they rained from Sedaris’ pen. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Sedaris’ name creates its own buzz and will continue to do so even with this quirky little book. --Annie Bostrom

Review

PRAISE FOR WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES:

"He's the best there is."―Judith Newman, People

"A joy to read....Sedaris [is] a connoisseur of human nature at its worst."―Christopher Muther, Boston Globe

"Sedaris is certainly worthy of hero worship....He is a master pathfinder."―Mark Washburn, Charlotte Observer

"The preeminent humorist of his generation."―Whitney Pastorek, Entertainment Weekly

Start reading Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (September 28, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 159 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316038393
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316038393
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.63 x 0.88 x 7.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #420,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,326 in Humor Essays (Books)
- #1,440 in Humorous American Literature
- #4,387 in Fiction Satire

Customer Reviews:
887 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

David Sedaris

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

David Sedaris lives in Paris. Raised in North Carolina, he has worked as a housecleaner and most famously, as a part-time elf for Macy's. Several of his plays have been produced, and he is a regular contributor to ESQUIRE and Public Radio International's 'This American Life'.

Customer reviews

5 star		60%
4 star		15%
3 star		10%
2 star		5%
1 star		10%

How are ratings calculated?

Reviews with images

See all customer images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Tired Parent

If only AEsop, La Fontaine, and Krylov could write prose, they would probably write like Sedaris.

Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2013

Verified Purchase

I simply can't believe all the poor reviews this book received. I love short story genre and am very saddened by the fact that there are so relatively few artist who are truly good at it -- Maupassant, Saki [H.H. Munro], Maugham, T.C. Boyle. (Tolstoy, Chekhov, and Gogol don't count. Unless one's Russian is good enough to read them and one's knowledge of Russian culture and history is good enough to appreciate them). With this in mind, David Sedaris is a little like an oasis in the modern wasteland.

"Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk" is one of the most biting and hilarious collections of short prose Sedaris' acerbic wit has offered to date. The only disappointment I found is the actual story of "The Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk." You see, I expected this to be a variant of an old joke I once heard (I think I was still in college then, so it was a long time ago. No -- really long time ago... Yep, that long.) The joke went something like this:

"So this squirrel and this chipmunk get married. And everyone tells them -- you can't get married. By God!... the two of you are just soooo different, you aren't even the same species. But the answer was always the same: 'We love each other,' Squirrel would say. 'More than anything in the world,' Chipmunk would add.

And so they did get married. And year after year went by. And peace and contentment settled upon the little furry family. But their joy was besmirched by one thing: no children. They BOTH wanted to have children. Oh, how they wanted to have children. More than anything they longed to hear pitter-patter of little hybrid SquiMunk paws in their burrow. So they went to see Squirrel's rabbi. That wasn't helpful. Then they went to talk to Chipmunk's mullah. Same result.

'Maybe we should go and see a doctor?' said Squirrel at breakfast one day.
'You are brilliant!' said Chipmunk. And so, to the doctor they went. The elderly white-haired veterinarian appeared very thoughtful. He took them to separate exam rooms and performed thorough physicals and took detailed histories. His assistant drew multiple tiny vials for all sorts of test of every conceivable body fluid that could be tested. And the fur. The fur hairs got tested too (you just never know...)

A week later both were sitting in the vet's consultation room holding their joint breath waiting for the doctor to give them the results.

"Is it me?" asked Chipmunk.
"Or me?" barely whispered Squirrel...
"Well," said the doctor. "I am not sure how to tell you, but it is actually both of you."
"Wha... What do you mean?" asked Chipmunk.
"You see," said the doctor pointing at the chipmunk, "you are... a... um... a boy." The doctor then looked at the squirrel and said: "And so are you..."

OK, ok, I know this is VERY politically INcorrect (and in some circles, I'd probably get crucified for it), but I know, I just know, that David Sedaris would make it work! If anything, it would probably be even funnier coming from him. Sigh... maybe he'll use this joke in one of his later books... you know? "Squirrel and Chipmunk -- the Sequel" or "Squirrel and Chipmunk Ride Again... For A Few Dollars More..."

Naaaahh.... He probably won't.

So... back to the review. For the exception of the title story, I absolutely loved the book. And for all the nay-sayers. Have you ever heard of "allegory?..." "fable?... For that matter have you ever heard of AEsop?... Jean de La Fontaine?... Ivan Krylov?... No matter. I think this book is one of the BEST of Sedaris' offerings.

18 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mick Scheib

Not that well done -- besides being just plain unpleasant

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

I admire Sedaris' honesty, his willingness to admit to traits and behavior that some might find offensive.

However, I could barely stomach this one.

Have no idea of why he wrote it, unless he's campaigning to find quarters that lock only from the outside.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Stacey

Tried his hand at a different style of writing

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2019

Verified Purchase

Atypical style of writing for David Sedaris, as this are little vignettes told from the point of view of animals. He normally writes little vignettes that are autobiographical in nature about different points in his own life. I respect the attempt to try something different, but wouldn't recommend this book to anyone except for a David Sedaris cult follower (which I am).

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Cindy

Quirky adult humor! I found alot of it funny! An entertaining read!

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

I must love the book! I actually got two copies! What started out as a random purchase at a book store... ended up being a nice surprise! We took the book on along trip. (16 hours.) I usually read out loud during some of the trip... This book promised "adult fairytale type" story telling... It was funny & quirky.... complete with pictures! I didn't like all of the little stories... but enough that I told people about it and my friend seemed interested.... So I then bought a second copy as a gift! She was less amused. She then gave it back too me. So... the book is not for everyone. I also read some of them to my adult children with mixed reviews. They liked some and didn't like others... I have read some of David Sedaris other books and found them to be funny. If you like quirky and offbeat humor.... this book is for you!

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

B. Wilfong

I just don't know...

Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2010

Verified Purchase

This book of short stories has the most abrupt tone change I have ever come across in such a collection.
The book starts out on a pleasant and clever enough note. Sedaris is writing about human foibles, made all the more biting and funny by the fact that they are being played out by animals. The first four stories are in this vein, are sharp pieces of satire, and enjoyable to read. I personally loved "The Migrating Warblers" and "The Toad, the Turtle, and the Duck". Laugh out loud funny, and with an actual point. Clever horation satire.
And then we get to story number five, "The Motherless Bear", and the text makes a sharp turn and never comes back. From this point on, almost without exception, the book is vulgar, cruel, and mean spirited. And frankly, I don't get it. What point is Sedaris trying to prove? What does he expect the reader (or the text for that matter) to gain by the brutality and negativity? Characters with annoying or petty characteristics meet with brutal, and undeserved, fates and to what end? If you took the stories and made the victim a person instead of a mouse, etc. people would be disgusted.
There are funny moments, or a very clever line here or there, but it does not make up for the overall tone of the text.
I like Sedaris, at times I enjoyed this book, but I hope this is not the new vein of his writing. There is no joy in it, no real wit, and that is a shame.

21 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Pamela

Dark and Disappointing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2019

Verified Purchase

If you taught a creative writing group and if one of your students produced this work, then you might be mildly pleased. They have used the idea of the anthropomorphization of animals as a device to look at human life. But then you realize that their idea is flawed and repetitive. It's not witty or insightful just labored student writing you decide to encourage them for they are young and heavy-handed in their views and what appears new is actually old and tired with a beard.
This is what this book is like disappointing and to be honest embarrassing that this has been published .

2 people found this helpful

FrustratedOptimist

Ouch!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 26, 2015

Verified Purchase

Although I own and love all of Sedaris books, when it came to this I hesitated a few years before taking the plunge as reviews were slightly worrying and I did not want my views on Sedaris to change for the worse. What was I thinking?!? How could a mind that I admired so much and found endlessly entertaining produce anything less than satisfying to an avid reader like me? It turns out that the book is indeed completely different from his usual collection of essays of varying length and levels of light-heartedness, but you can see the Sedaris mind at work in every tale in this collection of fables that never fails to hit the spot. It is often very close to the bone - to the point of being slightly cruel, perhaps, and certainly painful - but it is an allegorical masterpiece in which all of us cannot fail to recognise some part of ourselves or of people around us. I particularly love 'The Sick Rat and the Healthy Rat': it is a great help when faced with a certain kind of person (you'll know what I mean when you read it, I don't want to spoil it for you). One word of warning, though: brace yourself for this ride as it can get a bit uncomfortable, but it is worth it.

5 people found this helpful

Jan

Not what I was after as a cheery read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

Not what I was expecting from this author. Die hard fans will probably love it but I prefer his other works. I found this all a bit unpleasant and didn't finish it.

One person found this helpful

jmartincheape

Funny and clever

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2021

Verified Purchase

Very enjoyable tales of animals (human) foibles. Dry as a bone, sharp as a tach,and grinningly funny. Comes Highly Recommended.

Nick Ruskin

very funny but not entirely sure its about animals

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 9, 2020

Verified Purchase

a delightful collection of short stories that use animals to illustrate our communal shortcomings - highly recommended

See all reviews