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Summary
Summary
It is 1792 and unbeknownst to a group of voyageurs traveling from Montreal to Grand Portage, an intrepid squirrel, Jean Pierre Petit Le Rouge, sneaks onto their canoe. Le Rouge is soon discovered because he can't contain his excitement-- mon dieu he is so enthusiastic. The smells! The vistas! The comradery! The voyageurs are not particularly happy to have him, especially because Le Rouge rides, but he does not paddle. He eats, but he does not cook. He doesn't even carry anything on portages--sometimes it is he who has to be carried. He also has a terrible singing voice. What kind of voyageur is that?
When they finally arrive at the trading post Le Rouge is in for a terrible shock--the voyageurs have traveled all those miles to collect beaver pelts. With the help of Monique, a smart and sweet flying squirrel, Le Rouge organizes his fur-bearing friends of the forest to ambush the men and try and convince them to quit being voyageurs.
Written by a Newbery honor author, the book has over 20 black-and-white illustrations.
Author Notes
Margi Preus is a New York Times bestselling author of several books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor book Heart of A Samurai . Her most recent books include Shadow on the Mountain , and the picture book Celebritrees- Historic and Famous Trees of the World , illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon. Ms. Preus lives in Duluth, Minnesota. www.margiepreus.com
Cheryl Pilgrim is an illustrator and public school art teacher. She recently wrote and illustrated the picture book Big and Little- A Story Of Opposites . She lives near Houston, Texas. www.cherylpilgrim.com
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this spry novel, Newbery Honoree Preus deftly threads together a nature adventure, history lesson, cautionary environmental tale, and an animal love story. Jean Pierre Petit Le Rouge, a curious red squirrel, annually watches singing, fur-trading "voyageurs" canoe away from Montreal and return months later with "the scent of the faraway," which was "a smell that stirred up in me a wanderlust." So, in May 1792, Le Rouge stows away on a canoe bound for a trading post on Lake Superior, determined to impress the voyageurs. He scampers to the top of a tree to point the way after they lose their bearings and uses his keen senses to guide the craft through fog. Despite his close bond with a kind, bookish trapper, Le Rouge announces--in a sly riff on a passage from Thoreau's Walden--that he is "going into the woods... to live deliberately" because the voyageurs' mission involves profiting "from the skins of my animal brethren." Preus wraps up her entertaining and informative narrative on a heartwarming note as the loquacious, wryly contemplative squirrel finds his way--back home and in life. Evocative pictures by Pilgrim (Big and Little) augment the story's ample heart and humor, and an author's note contextualizes the fur trade, including its impact on indigenous people. Ages 7--10. Author's agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. (Mar.)
Kirkus Review
Stowing away with French Canadian fur traders in 1792, a loquacious red squirrel embarks on a life-changing adventure.Each spring, Jean Pierre Petit Le Rouge, a squirrel with wanderlust, watches brave, strong voyageurs depart in canoes from Montreal and return the following autumn. Determined to be a voyageur, Le Rouge hides in a canoe paddled by eight stout voyageurs, part of a brigade of five. Soon his incessant chattering distracts the voyageurs, who become separated from the rest of the brigade, but, after ascending the highest tree, he points the crew back on course. More than once, pesky Le Rouge barely escapes becoming squirrel ragout. He's just beginning to feel like a real voyageur when they reach the trading post on Lake Superior, where he discovers the voyageurs exchanging their cargo for animal skins to return to Montreal. Heartsick, Le Rouge decides he cannot be a voyageur if it involves trading animal skins, unless he can change things. Le Rouge relates his story with drama and flair, presenting a colorful prism through which to view the daily life of a voyageur. Peppered with historical facts and (italicized) French phrases and names, this exciting, well-documented tale (with a contemporary animal-rights subtext) proves educational and entertaining. Realistic pencil drawings highlight Le Rouge's memorable journey.A rousing introduction to the life of a voyageur told from a unique perspective. (map, pronunciation guide, historical and biological notes, recipe, further reading) (Historical fantasy. 7-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
It's 1792, and Jean Pierre Petit Le Rouge, a squirrel who has always longed to be a voyageur, stows away in a canoe paddling west from Montreal. He annoys his fellow voyageurs (humans all) with his incessant chirring, chewing holes in their food bags, and being generally useless during portages. Only the book-loving Jean Gentille takes a liking to him, protecting him when the rest of the brigade threatens to make soup of him. But when they arrive at a trading post on Lake Superior, Le Rouge abandons the group after discovering the true purpose of their voyage: obtaining furs. Preus' text is rich in setting detail, especially regarding the natural world that the voyageurs traverse. She also excels at integrating French vocabulary into the story and appends a pronunciation guide. Pilgrim's frequent black-and-white illustrations help to clarify details and break up the text for younger readers. The ending, in which Le Rouge and flying squirrel Monique team up to produce their own petite brigade, will please readers willing to overlook the questionable science.--Kay Weisman Copyright 2019 Booklist
