Squirrel Nutkin

I was thinking about the early influences that have informed my reading and writing choices and shaped the kind of art I love so I’ll be posting on that topic over the next while.

My official bio always said “Nancy blames her love of horror on the first horror story she read – “The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin”. I included that because it was fun and flippant, but also because it shows that, as a child, you will find all sorts of things scary. I remember being horrified at the illustration of the owl holding Squirrel Nutkin down by the throat. Looking back, I realize that the story might also have disturbed me because it was about being punished for breaking the rules, for rebelling (well, and for being an obnoxious squirrel-brat). To this day, it’s a safe bet that no one would ever describe me as a rebellious rule-breaker. I dutifully follow the instructions, stand in the lines and don’t complain. Perhaps I’m afraid that someone will rip my metaphorical tail off.