PreS-Gr 2-Bat has lost his home. He politely states his dilemma while asking different animals if he can live with them-without success. That is, until he finally finds a perfect place in Squirrel's leafy house-unbeknownst to his host, who is still asleep when Bat arrives. When Squirrel wakes to find her unwelcome houseguest sleeping on a twig, she is not pleased. She asks him to leave in no uncertain terms. But as Bat is fast asleep, she decides to leave him a note "to be on the safe side." Squirrel's angry note orders the interloper to "bug off!," which Bat misinterprets to mean that Squirrel doesn't like bugs on her bed. Bat happily complies and piles his bugs in a corner, off Squirrel's bed, even leaving Squirrel a polite reply: "Sorry about the bugs! See you later! Bat." When Squirrel returns home to find her unwanted guest is still there, she is enraged and writes an even angrier note to Bat. A slew of hilarious mishaps and misunderstandings ensue. Readers will delight in guessing how sweet, clueless Bat will misread Squirrel's grumpy missives. However, the very last note will leave readers saying "Awww." The illustrations perfectly convey the feelings of Bat and Squirrel and reflect and enhance the overall tone of the story. This is an uplifting, giggle-inducing, winning read-aloud, ideal for any storytime. VERDICT A fresh, funny, sweet offering in which friendship triumphs despite obvious outward differences. A must-have for any library.-Megan Kilgallen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Bat needs a new home and thinks he's found one in Squirrel's cozy nest. But Squirrel doesn't want a housemate. Through a series of misinterpreted notes, she tries to tell Bat, whose sleep schedule is opposite hers, that he's not welcome. After the humorous misunderstandings, the eventual friendship between the two feels satisfying. Digitally colored charcoal and crayon illustrations add warmth to the tale. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Struggling to find a new place to live, Bat eventually chooses a leafy squirrel home in a tree. He doesn't want to disturb sleeping Squirrel to ask permission, so Bat grabs onto a twig and dozes off. When Squirrel finds Bat in the morning, she's not pleased. She can't wake him, but she leaves a note: Dear Bat, Bug off! Sincerely, Squirrel. Mistaking her meaning, he writes an apology for leaving bugs on her bed. On different sleeping schedules, they continue to communicate solely through notes. After misinterpreting her words Leave my house, he spends hours adding leaves to the home. The comedy of errors concludes when they become friends. Digitally colored, the charcoal-and-litho-crayon illustrations portray settings and characters with rounded lines and earthy hues. Both pictures and text have an accessible, childlike tone, and the misunderstanding-based humor will resonate with kids who find the written word challenging to decode. A possible read-aloud for classroom units on animal homes as well as the nocturnal-diurnal concept.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist

Tone can be a tricky thing in written communication, as anyone who has sent an email a little too hastily knows. The same is apparently true of notes written on leaves and mushroom caps, something that Squirrel discovers as she tries to get her unexpected new housemate, Bat, to vacate her tree nest. "Dear Bat, Leave my house!! Sincerely, Squirrel," she writes after several previous notes are misunderstood by the good-natured Bat. But he doesn't get the message this time, either, instead doubling the square footage of Squirrel's nest-using extra leaves, of course. "I leaved your house. Hope you like it!" writes Bat, signing off his letter with a smiley face. Meisel's (Run for Your Life!) digitally colored crayon and charcoal cartoons keep the mood light, even as Squirrel's frustrations mount; eventually, she realizes that having Bat around isn't so bad-what better roommate than one who doesn't even share your sleep schedule? It's a drily funny portrait of the rewards of opening oneself up to new opportunities and friendships. Ages 4-8. Agent: Jennifer Mattson, Andrea Brown Literary. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.