Little Bat up all day by Brian Lies
Inquisitive Little Bat wants to know what happens in the daytime. After all he sleeps through each day, only coming out at night to search for food. He meets a squirrel who saves him from the hawk circling overhead, and the pair become friends spending most of the day together. Little Bat has some difficulty however with the sun and seems to want to go to sleep, only to be wakened by the squirrel, Rusty. Rusty shows him over the neighbourhood which seems quite familiar to Little Bat who sees it only at night. They play in the fountain, Rusty surprised that bats know about this place, but Little Bat becomes so warm he begins to fall asleep. Ruse wakes him and they play on the swing, play with the soccer ball, play on the post box, all the while Squirrel telling Little Bat what it is like to be around during the day. But Little Bat dozes off and Squirrel is concerned that they cannot be friends as they both are awake at different times. Their waking hours do not correspond. Rusty watches over Little Bat, his practical measures keeping the bat safe, while Little Bat is eager but unprepared for what the day may bring.
In the end a very neat resolution gives their friendship a solid grounding.
This story is a subtle look at friendship and making friends and what friends bring to the relationship. It shows in the end that some sort of compromise may occur if their friendship is to continue, which they both want.
One of a group of books about Little Bat, this one gives readers a great deal of information about bats and squirrels as they read the fictional tale. A YouTube clip gives readers an interview with Brian Lies and more information about Little Bat.
The illustrations exude realism and warmth as the pair do things together, cementing their friendship. Several others of award winning author/illustrator Brian Lies’ books offered Little Bat as a background figure but now he takes centre stage in several recent books.
Themes: Bats, Squirrels, Friendship, Nocturnal animals.
Fran Knight
