- First published
- 1974
- Editions
- 2 editions
- Status
- Out of print
Merle the High Flying Squirrel
A timid little city squirrel resolves to be brave and sets off on a great adventure, carried by the wind toward the towering redwood forest he has always dreamed of.
"Merle was a scrawny young squirrel who lived in a big city park up in an oak tree... 'I'm tired of being scared,' Merle said one morning. 'It's not fun at all. From now on I'm going to be brave. Even brave enough to take a trip somewhere.'"
Part of the inspiration for Merle was a young squirrel Bill Peet watched from his studio window: "He was high up on a power line in front of our house, and by the way he was floundering about I guessed he was a beginner out for his very first try at high-wire walking. His tail went flying wildly about as he fought to keep his balance. Time and again he nearly tumbled off the wire and each time his quick little hands saved him from the long drop to the pavement below."
From the book
Preliminary sketches
