The Return to Chicklemunk Valley
John Morris
Paperback
(Olympia Publishers, Oct. 31, 2019)
‘Chased by cats, threatened by rats and we've even outwitted that crazy dog, Trouble. I can't think of anything else that could go wrong, can you Jess?' One beautiful morning in blissful Chicklemunk Valley, Jessie and Daisy set out to look for hazelnuts. But, despite being warned by her worried mother not to go too close to the edge of the woods, Jessie is ‘taken' by humans! She finds herself in Chintzler's Pet Zoo alongside many other creatures, including Don, another Chicklemunk. Don ‘escapes' from his cage every night and upon exploring, he discovers an older Chicklemunk hidden away in a different room. It turns out that this is in fact Jessie's long-lost grandfather, Tom, who was himself ‘taken' many years before. With old Tom's knowledge, Don's bravery and Jessie's determination, the three Chicklemunks, along with some other animal friends, resolve to escape and somehow return to the peace of Chicklemunk Valley. But how can they possibly make their wish come true? And what dangers will face them on their treacherous quest for home?