LitPick Review
If you have ever watched wildlife in your yard and wondered what it would be like to be them, then Neil O’Donnell has written a tale for you! Don’t Call Me Chip is a book about a chipmunk who hates strangers calling him Chip. In fact, he feels like every time he’s called Chip, he knows he’s going to have a bad experience with that person. Sadly, he’s right.
When he finds a new place to live, he bonds with the elderly man named Mikey who lives there, and he receives the name Timothy Patrick. He still experiences one harrowing situation after another, but Mikey and a whole community of wildlife want to help him. Rather than let themselves become underdogs accepting defeat, they start acting like militant superheroes. No matter what, they are determined to bravely face the difficulties together.
Opinion:
Don’t Call Me Chip is a humorous story about how wildlife can get revenge when humans are out to get them. Writing from the perspective of the chipmunk is a unique way to show readers how animals must live by their instincts and use whatever is around them for their survival. The story also teaches a lesson about the importance of having courage, staying positive, and asking for help from others in upsetting circumstances. It’s descriptive and uses some adult language, so it’s best for teens and adults. It even takes a peak at how fires and new housing developments can ruin natural habitats and force wildlife to relocate with only a moment’s notice. Anyone who appreciates wildlife or has had unusual encounters with nature should enjoy the good mix of silliness and seriousness that is woven into this story.
