Beasts of New York

Finished February 9
Beasts of New York: a children's book for grownups by Jon Evans
In some ways this book makes my think of Watership Down, but a lighter version ... and with squirrels instead of rabbits. We follow young Patch, son of Silver, of the Seeker clan, of the Treetops tribe, of the Center Kingdom. The Center Kingdom is Central Park in New York City. It is late winter and Patch can't find any of the nuts he buried, and he's not the only one either. Something is going on and Patch is determined to get to the bottom of it. The rats seem to be up to something. In his quest for food, Patch overhears rats and a rogue squirrel plotting and talking about the King Beneath. Then Patch is diverted and must make the quest of his life to find his way back home.
With squirrels, cats, birds, and rats, we get into the lives and behaviors of these animals. Patch has fear, but knows that he must take risks to win his home safe home. He meets many animals on his quest from Zelina, Queen of All Cats; Toro, a loyal blue jay; Daffa, a pigeon with a geographic-centric memory; Karmerruk, a lordly hawk; and White, a lonely albino squirrel. I loved the characters, and the story has a bit of a folk tale feel to it.