The Dead Sea Squirrels (Books 1-6)
Summary
The Dead Sea Squirrels is a series of children’s novels by VeggieTales co-creator and voice actor Mike Nawrocki. Following the misadventures of Michael and his two ancient squirrels, this book series provides good, Godly messages and unravels the Bible’s timeline in an approachable format for kids. Filled with delightful humor, relevant life lessons, and cute, appealing artwork, this series stands out among its peers.
Assessment
The Dead Sea Squirrels is an excellent and delightful middle grade series with wholesome, age-appropriate Biblical messages and wild antics. In it, married squirrels Merle and Pearl find themselves salted and preserved in a cave near the Dead Sea. 2,000 years, a rambunctious 10-year-old named Michael, and one international flight later, they are revived by a rainstorm in Tennessee. Set loose on the unsuspecting modern era, the squirrels, Michael, and Michael’s friends and family must navigate hijinks, prevent chaos, and internalize Scriptural truths as they strengthen each other and glorify God with their actions.
Light-o-Meter
Writing Style: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Plot: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Artwork: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Characters: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Theological Message: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Overall: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Talk
Mike Nawrocki’s first book series does not disappoint! I read the first six books from the Dead Sea Squirrel series and can easily and comfortably say that the series keeps getting better and better. From the start, the concept and way the theological message is woven into the story is excellent. The first few books were a little unrefined (not rough, per se, but there was definitely a need for some natural development as series progressed), but nothing that negates the quality or distracts from the story, especially for kids. Then Nawrocki hits his stride and the series quality increases from “this is pretty good” to “this is really great!!”
The theological messages are really well done while still being relevant to children. Bullies, lying, unkindness, mercy are all covered in this series with an expert touch that keeps the story from feeling preachy. The stories are also delightfully humorous without resorting to sarcasm or other, age-inappropriate jokes. There is a sort of wry undercurrent of “yes, this series is about 2,000-year-old talking squirrels” that is subtle enough to not become “Marvel humor” or take the reader out of the story. Just enough to be properly funny.
To wrap up, I wanted to give the artwork its own paragraph because it is delightful. Incredibly cute, cartoony, perfect for the story, and super expressive, it really helps convey the plot without overshadowing it. Luke Seguin-Magee does a fantastic job with the visual storytelling part of this series!
Wrap-up
The Dead Sea Squirrels by Mike Nawrocki is a hilarious, kooky, and theologically sound series for kids! With solid Christian messages that don’t suck the life out of the stories and fun, cartoony artwork that fits the style perfectly, this series is sure to delight an amuse any
Where to Enjoy
Amazon: The Dead Sea Squirrels (12 book series) Kindle Edition
Books-A-Million: The Dead Sea Squirrels Set Books 1-6
Christianbook.com: Dead Sea Squirrels Book Series
Audiobook version narrated by Mike Nawrocki: Barnes & Noble*: The Dead Sea Squirrels by Mike Nawrocki | 2940169287530 | Audiobook (Digital)
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