Bannertail facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Ernest Thompson Seton |
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| Illustrator | Ernest Thompson Seton |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Published | 1922 |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 265 pp |
Bannertail: The Story of a Gray Squirrel is a children's novel written and illustrated by Ernest Thompson Seton. It was first published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1922. This popular story was later made into an animated television series in 1979. The TV show is called Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel.
Contents
The Story of Bannertail
The story of Bannertail begins with a tiny baby squirrel. After his mother dies, a kind farm cat adopts him. He grows up in the safety of a barn. But one day, a fire breaks out, forcing Bannertail to escape into the wild woods.
In the forest, Bannertail must learn how to live on his own. He faces many challenges and dangers. The book shows how he learns to find food, build a home, and stay safe from predators. It's a tale about growing up and surviving in nature.
Meet the Author: Ernest Thompson Seton
Ernest Thompson Seton (1860–1946) was a famous author, artist, and naturalist. He loved animals and spent a lot of time studying them. Seton wrote many books about wildlife, often telling stories from the animals' point of view.
He also helped start the Boy Scouts of America. Seton believed that spending time in nature was important for young people. His books often teach lessons about nature and how animals live.
What Seton Wanted to Teach
In Bannertail, Ernest Thompson Seton wanted to share some important ideas. He wrote about these goals in the book's introduction.
- Instinct is Key: Seton believed that animals learn a lot from their mothers. But he also thought that their natural instincts are even more important. An animal can survive and do well even without its mother's help, as long as it gets through its dangerous baby stage.
- Nature's Rules: Animals, like people, have ways of living that help their species survive. If an animal develops habits that could harm its group in the long run, nature has strict ways of dealing with that. It's about keeping the animal population healthy.
- Fighting Pests: Animals must constantly fight against tiny insects and parasites. If they don't, they can get sick and even die. This is a natural part of their struggle to survive.
- Squirrels Plant Trees: Seton pointed out that gray squirrels are amazing tree planters! In America's nut forests, almost every nut tree was planted by a squirrel or its relatives. Without squirrels, there would be very few nut trees.
Bannertail on TV
Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel was turned into an animated TV series. It was made by a Japanese company called Nippon Animation in 1979. The show has 26 episodes.
The TV series became popular around the world. It was translated from Japanese into many languages. These included English, German (called Puschel, das Eichhorn), Afrikaans (called Pokkel die eekhoring), Arabic, and Spanish (called "Banner y Flappy").
