It started off as just another ordinary day for the Squirrel family. Mom and Dad were out busily gathering food, and Junior was asleep in his comfortable bed waiting for them to return with breakfast when he was startled by the screeching of blackbirds flying in great numbers all around his tree home. In an instant, everything turned dark, and Junior sensed a huge weight upon him. He became increasingly terrified and filled with despair as he felt the tight grip of the talons of a giant hawk around his belly as he was being lifted up into the air and taken away. He wondered if he would ever see his home and family again. This story is based on the real-life rescue of a baby squirrel from the clutches of a hawk and each step of his recovery and rehabilitation, introducing readers to the superb work done by the SPCA and wildlife rehabilitators.
Francis C. Pengitore, a retired U.S. Army officer and adjunct university professor, has enjoyed teaching graduate and undergraduate students for over 20 years, and although he has numerous academic articles and papers to his credit, this is his first foray into young adult fiction. His interest and personal experience with animal rescue and rehabilitation served as the inspiration for this story. His hobbies include military history, baseball, the outdoors, and gardening. He lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, Diana; two beagles, Niklas and Bennie; two cats, Lefty and Righty; and a rabbit, Ebenezer. The rabbit rules!