“It’s Dinner Time!” is an adorable tale about a family of chipmunks getting ready for winter. The author, Lydia Sesso, seamlessly weaves in the importance of faith, family, friendship, and an overall regard for the world we live in.
Colorfully illustrated, we join Mama and Papa Chipmunk as they teach their children, Noah and Daisy, how to get ready for winter. Working together, and playing games, they prepare their burrow for winter by stock-piling food, water, and oak leaves. There is, however, an ever-present danger of being eaten by Sparrow, the biggest hawk around. The air turns cool and it’s time to go inside for the winter, but little Noah gets lost! After searching until he could search no more, Papa closes the burrow for the winter. Through tears, they pray for the safety of Noah. They pray each day and hold out hope to be reunited.
As signs of spring start coming into the burrow, the fractured family rushes out to search for Noah. While Daisy is searching where she last saw him, she finds herself locked in the steely gaze of Sparrow. He gets closer! And closer! And then he… smiles! Before Daisy can make sense of the encounter, she sees her brother, Noah, pop his head out of Sparrow’s feathers. They had both found themselves in need of a friend, so they had put their differences aside to help each other.
Whether the lesson of unlikely friendship is the take-away or the lesson of trusting God with our impossible situations, this book has many layers. If I were to pick one theme to describe this book, I would say it is “Kindness.” It’s vitally important that we are kind in dealings with our family, our friends, and even the individuals we find it difficult to show kindness to. A charming story coupled with a great message. I recommend this book for ages 4-10 years.