Many young readers will enjoy the story for its humorous elements while others will nod gently, recognizing its life lessons about the impact of force versus gentleness. The repetitive use of cautionary "Shh"s hissed at the youngster as the gang tries to execute its plans and the moody digital illustrations are bound to make readers feel as though they are moving stealthily through the night.

This is a beautifully produced book which will take pride of place on my bookshelf alongside Chris Haughton's other books.' When children hear the story several times they’ll get to know it really well. This helps them to tell it in their own words, using the pictures as prompts. Listen for the ways they use words and phrases from the story. This familiarity will help them to read the story independently and with increasing accuracy. Watch a Trailer Re-read the story, encouraging children to join in with the repetition and fun: ‘ready one, ready two, ready three… GO!’ Tell the story

Pleasingly spare and simple in design and storyline, and ending with a good joke, this is a perfectly executed picture book. ... Chris Haughton plays tribute to Tomi Ungerer’s classic Children can re-enact and retell the tale of the hilarious villains. Using movement and the repetition to build the suspense, swiftly followed by disappointment, will make it exciting and amusing for their audience. Play a game Read the story aloud, talking together about the pictures as you do. Talking about the book makes space for children to ask questions, share their thoughts and deepens their understanding. What do they imagine the little one is thinking? Join in Four friends out for a walk decide they must have the beautiful bird perched high in a tree. They have a plan... Trouble is, their plans don't quite work and each time they land up in a tangled heap as the bird flies off. But look more closely and you will see that the littlest one doesn't join in - he has a much better idea. Even then, things don't quite go according to plan in this almost wordless picture book which relies heavily on the clever picture to relate the story.'

Make some puppets to represent the characters in the story. Could you use them to perform it to an audience? What happens next? Children can draw and write what they imagine happens next in the story of the hunters and the squirrel. A very funny picture book . . . most of the story is revealed in the simple, expressive pictures, making it perfect for new readers' Through seemingly simple but wonderfully sophisticated visual techniques, Haughton excels in his goal and in doing so, proves that even as profound a concept as achieving peace through understanding can be conveyed visually, without words'The truth of one of Bornholdt’s observations – “Reading a book of pictures is still reading” – will become immediately obvious to the “reader” of Chris Haughton’s picture book Look at the expressions of the characters in the illustrations. How are they feeling? What are they thinking at different points? One of the most exciting new voices in children’s literature, comes a new picture book about a beautiful bird, an unquenchable desire and plans gone awry'