A cute story filled with bright ideas!

Nutsi tells the tale of a young squirrel named, Nutsi, who’s afraid of the dark. To overcome this fear he enlists the help of his friend Lili. The two friends embark on a quest to catch the moon and put it in his room so it will light up the room at night.

After an eventful adventure, the young squirrels are discovered by Nutsi’s grandmother who walks them home. She explains to the youngsters that the moon is much too big to fit in Nutsi’s room. But, being a clever squirrel, the grandmother finds another way to light up Nutsi’s room.

A cute story that touches on a fear common in many young children. I liked how, Nutsi, tried to proactively solve his problem and the innocent execution of his plan. I also appreciated that he asked his friend, Lili, for help. Some problems are just too big to solve on our own. Reading this book is a great way to approach a conversation on fears in young children and how to ask for help to resolve them.

While I enjoyed the colorful illustrations of the book, I found the story fell short on a couple things. First, at the beginning, Nutsi says he’ll help Lili complete her snowman if she helps him find the tallest tree in the forest. Without question, Lili agrees to the arrangement and fulfills her end of the bargain, but we never see Nutsi keep his side of the deal. This could have easily been rectified with a sentence stating Nutsi’s intention to assist Lili as soon as he could.

Second, the two young squirrels wander through the dark forest with no adult supervision. Even when Nutsi’s grandmother accidentally finds them, she mentions nothing of their risky behavior and the importance of personal safety. This would be another great talking point after reading the story with children.

With intentional questions on personal safety, fears and keeping promises, NUTSI Wants to Catch the Moon could be a nice conversation starter on many topics.

About the Author

Emma PAIDGE has been passionate about reading and drawing since a very young age.

In search of a book to offer to her 4-year-old niece, she suddenly has an illumination: publish her own children’s book!

With “Nutsi wants to catch the moon”, this dream becomes reality.

What did you think of the book? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!