"We can't all, and some of us don't. That's all there is to it," gripes Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh,
moaning that apparently some creatures, even those living in an
enchanted and benevolent locale like the Hundred Acre Wood, are not
entitled to happiness on their birthday. The old donkey feels rejected
and neglected on what should be a joyous occasion, and so does the old
porcupine who is the title character in Ereth's Birthday, a middle reader by Avi that is part of a series of tales about Dimwood Forest.
When Ereth wakes up on his birthday to find that his best friend, a
mouse named Poppy, is off wandering the woods somewhere with her
husband, he is so disappointed, disgruntled and downright disgusted that
he decides to have a little adventure if he is to be denied a warm and
fuzzy celebration. Hopefully the end result of his quest will be a
birthday present for himself: a nice chunk of salt, his favorite thing
in all the world. After a very long and gloomy walk, made more
uncomfortable by a fresh sprinkling of snow, he finds just what he's
looking for. In a cabin usually occupied by hunters. He's seen them
leave, though, so he doesn't especially fear them. But his dreams of his
desired delicacy are dashed when he hears someone crying out from a
distance, wailing piteously, and despite his delight at his discovery,
he cannot bear to gorge himself while some other creature is suffering.
So he investigates and soon finds the source of the sound: a luxurious
vixen caught in a vicious steel trap that has gnawed at her leg for
hours. With her last few breaths, she begs Ereth to go take care of her
three kits. Though he grumbles mightily on the way to fulfilling her
request, Ereth doesn't have the heart to ignore her dying wish and soon
finds himself full-time babysitter to spirited Nimble, surly Tumble and
timid Flip. As if their antics alone weren't enough, he is haunted by
the knowledge that the surrounding area is littered with steel traps,
all concealed by the snow. Moreover, his worries about what will happen
if the kits' father doesn't show up give way to worries about what will
happen is he does, and all the while, unbeknownst to him, a sinister
pair of eyes studies him from a distance.
Ereth's Birthday
is a charming and lively tale about a crusty curmudgeon remembering
that he actually does care about those around him. In spite of the
omnipresent covering of snow, the story is infused with warmth and
tenderness, but Ereth's harsh exterior provides for plenty of comedic
moments, particularly when he speaks, with a tongue as salty as his
favorite treat. His alliterative, exasperated exclamations could put a
sailor to shame. A sampling: "smidgen of slipper slobber," "dangling
doggerels," buckled badger burgers," "chewed over cow cuds," "antelope
uncles," "busted bug bottoms"... and that's just for starters.
Prior familiarity with the series is helpful but not essential to a
reading of this book. Ereth is the only character from previous
chronicles featured in prominence, and he is established quite firmly
from the get-go, requiring no reliance on material from other
installments. Each of the kits has a distinct enough personality that we
can begin to see them as individuals as the story progresses rather
than merely members of a threesome, which is important since the bulk of
the novel deals with their interaction with Ereth. Adding to the appeal
of the book are the detailed, expressive drawings of Brian Floca,
illustrator for the other Dimwood Forest tales. A fairly breezy read at
180 pages broken into 27 chapters, Ereth's Birthday is great for
existing fans of the series and for anyone who loves adventuresome
animal stories and don't mind giving a lonely old porcupine a chance.
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