Be the Acorn by Griffin, Jason Douglas

A young squirrel who has big dreams of helping his family find a new home finds a big acorn instead, in this humorous and clever picture book by Caldecott Honoree Jason Griffin. Perfect for fans of THE LEAF THIEF and MEL FELL.

There's a hole in the ground where the squirrel family tree used to be, and so they set out on a hunt to find a new home.

Choko Choko, the smallest squirrel, is determined to help... but he's told he's too little to join. "Too LITTLE?!"

Choko Choko starts to have BIG feelings that grow into a storm cloud of BAD feelings. Luckily his grandma, Great Haha, always knows just what to say.

"Like an acorn, you may be small, but you have big possibilities... Be the acorn."

When Choko Choko discovers the largest acorn he has ever seen, he remembers Great Haha's wise words... and he realizes that although he's small, he can dare to dream big.

Caldecott Honoree Jason Griffin's inspiring bright-eyed and bushy tale about a valiant young squirrel reminds young readers that with patience and time, they too can grow into something beautiful.

Author: Jason Douglas Griffin
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Published: 09/15/2026
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.47lbs
Size: 11.25h x 11.25w x 0.45d
ISBN: 9781250417220
Audience: Ages 4-8

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2026
Publishers Weekly 06/22/2026
Booklist 08/01/2026

About the Author
Jason Douglas Griffin won a Caldecott Honor for his artwork in Ain't Burned All the Bright, written by Jason Reynolds, and also illustrated Reynolds's My Name Is Jason. Mine Too. He's an artist and master collaborator, who has shown his art in major cities all over the world. His projects include a commissioned mural for the children's cancer wing at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, as well as a residency at the contemporary art museum in Amsterdam, Het HEM. He currently creates in Queens, New York.