by Sue Heavenrich
Nancy Castaldo is an award-winning author who writes about the connections between science, people, and our planet. Her latest picture book, Whales in the City is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. She’s written about moose, wolves, and sniffer dogs for middle grade readers, and her books for young adults address environmental topics with global implications.
Her latest book is Squirrel: How a Backyard Forager Shapes Our World, a detailed dive into a common critter most of us see every day. And… it’s not written for kids.
Like most folks, we’ve got squirrels a-plenty in our backyard: gray squirrels, red squirrels, chipmunks. This time of year they’re busy raiding the bird feeder! I wanted to learn more about them (squirrels) and Nancy’s book, so I reached out to her a few weeks ago.
Sue: Hi Nancy. I’ve got to know… why squirrels?
Nancy: Why not squirrels? That’s really what drew me to them. They’re everywhere, yet most of us only notice them when they’re entertaining us—or frustrating us. I wanted to take a closer look at these familiar creatures and invite readers to see them differently. After all, we already have two endangered squirrel species in the United States. Time is essential. My hope is that after reading Squirrel, people will pause and really consider them as vital members of our ecosystems.
Sue: Why a book for adults rather than a picture book or middle grade book?
Nancy: Each book I write tells me what it wants to be. To explore squirrels as fully as I hoped to—with all their ecological, cultural, and historical significance—a book for adult readers felt like the right fit.
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| Nancy presenting one of her library programs |
Sue: I love the structure of the book—the table of contents has a very "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" feel. Can you talk about how you came to this structure?
Nancy: Organizing Squirrel around the many roles squirrels play in our world felt natural. Each chapter highlights one of those identities—cultural icon, keystone species, dinner entree, endangered species, and so on. In a way, it’s similar to how I structured my middle grade book, Beastly Brains. Ask anyone about squirrels, and they’ll likely jump right into one of these roles—so I followed that instinctive pattern.
Sue: How is writing for adults different than writing for kids? Are there ways in which it’s similar?
Nancy: In both cases, it starts with research—lots of it. But the kinds of questions I ask scientists and the way I frame the answers differ. Writing for adults allows for more complexity and context, while writing for kids means choosing words and examples that meet them where they are. Still, my goals remain the same: to inform, inspire, and empower readers, no matter their age.
Sue: Do you have any advice for kidlit authors who want to try writing a book for adults?
Nancy: Read widely in the genre you want to write. It’s the same advice I give to writers working in kidlit: know what’s already out there, and be able to articulate how your book adds something new. Understanding where your work fits on the shelf is key, whether that shelf is for children’s books or adult nonfiction.
Sue: Will we be seeing a children’s book about squirrels in the future?
Nancy: There are already quite a few wonderful picture books about squirrels—so we’ll see! I’m currently working on something that takes a slightly different approach from what’s already on the shelves.
Sue: Today is National Squirrel Appreciation Day. What’s the coolest thing you learned about squirrels while working on this project? And what can we do to appreciate them?
Nancy: One of the coolest things I discovered is that some squirrel mothers actually gift parts of their territory to their daughters. That kind of generosity in the animal world really caught my attention—it’s a fascinating glimpse into how squirrels maintain social and ecological balance within their populations.
As for appreciating squirrels, start by getting to know the squirrel species that live near you—you might be surprised by how many there are. Each species has its own story and challenges, from habitat loss to climate shifts. The more we learn about them, the more we can appreciate how deeply intertwined they are with our world.
Thank you, Nancy, for joining us today! Folks can find out more about Nancy and her books at her website, nancycastaldo.com. Follow her on BlueSky, X, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
