It’s been over a year since the last Unlimited Squirrels book by Mo Willems (that’s frustrating!) and while the characters have since launched an animated series on HBO Max (that’s exciting!), it’s time to get back to their roots (that’s happy!). Young readers can now explore their feelings with the fifth book, Unlimited Squirrels in The Frustrating Book!, now available from Disney/Hyperion. As you should’ve guessed by now, this series of books is about emotions and this volume tackles frustration and disappointment.
(Hyperion)
Broken up into several parts, “The Big Story” finds Zip and Zap opening up a Feelings booth. Anyone can stop by to try out new feelings, and Zoom Squirrel is their first Squirrel Friend to take them up on the offer. Zoom isn’t used to the feelings of disappointment and frustration, so when it turns out these are all Zip and Zap have to offer, he is understandably… disappointed and frustrated.
The “Emote-Acorns” are back, themed emojis that appear on the page to help children understand the emotional rollercoaster of the story. In this book, these include happy, sad, confused, scared, excited, and the titular emotion, frustrated. Parents and educators can use them to start a discussion with their kids about emotions and how to express them in healthy ways. Disney even offers online resources, like an Educator’s Guide to the Unlimited Squirrels series and printable Activity Sheets for The Frustrating Book!
The fun doesn’t stop with “The Big Story.” In fact, it begins early with some backstage talk, as Unlimited Squirrels presents itself like a TV show, with Flappy Squirrel (who is, in fact, a duck) acting as stage manager. It’s reminiscent of an episode of The Muppet Show and in The Frustrating Book!, Zoom Squirrel isn’t the only character frustrated. Happy Squirrel has something he wants to share and Flappy Squirrel keeps making him wait his turn. Then there are the “Acorn-y Joke” segments, in which Hi-Corn keeps ruining the punchline of all of Hey-Corn’s jokes. And direct from Unlimited Squirrels Labs (it’s not called that, but it feels like a nod to Muppet Labs) there’s Research Rodent who examines Zip, Zap, and Zoom after their experiences in “The Big Story.”
Unlimited Squirrels in The Frustrating Book! may be the fifth book in this Mo Willems series, but it’s also a perfect place to start. Disappointment and frustration are hard feelings for kids to process and this volume gives them, and their parents/educators, helpful tools to process and regulate. Told through Willems’ signature speech-bubble style, Unlimited Squirrels in The Frustrating Book! is fun and easy to read, full of laugh-out-loud moments for children and parents. There’s a reason Mo Willems is among the most awarded children’s authors of our time with his ability to create appealing characters and tell funny short stories while incorporating teachable moments for both kids and adults.