LitPick Review
Don’t Call Me Chip is an upbeat story that's partially told from the perspective of a chipmunk. Surprisingly, contrary to the chipmunk stereotype, this chipmunk is witty and does not do cute. He also hates to be called "Chip." After escaping from his destroyed burrow under the deck of a house caught on fire, he searches for a new home among a neighborhood near the forest. After meeting his close ex-marine human companion, he is given a new home. Shortly thereafter, however, new trouble-making neighbors move in next door, threatening the existence of the human companion’s quiet home and the chipmunk's newfound rodent friends. Together with his friends, the chipmunk hatches a plan to convince the neighbors to leave forever.
Opinion:
Don’t Call Me Chip is a very clever and fun book, giving insight to what it is like to be a rodent. Neil O’Donnell sheds a new light on chipmunks and rodent-kind alike. This would be a family-friendly story, however, there is some profanity. There are some minor spelling and grammar errors, but they do not distract from the story. Also, another minor error included an accidental change of character species. At one part of the story, the writing did seem a bit rushed, but that was changed soon thereafter.
I loved the main character, Timothy, because he had a perfect combination of bravery, common sense, and compassion for others. I would definitely recommend this to older children who love nature or just want to enjoy a nice, humorous book.
