Der Sonnendieb

Squirrel and Bird

by Alice Hemming, Nicola Slater (Illustrator), Jennifer Buchholz (Translator)

Wo ist die Sonne hin? - Aus der Erfolgsreihe "Der Blätterdieb" Ein lustiges Bilderbuch über Jahreszeiten, Freundschaft und große Abenteuer
Eben noch liegt das Eichhörnchen gemütlich im Liegestuhl und lässt sich von der warmen Sonne das flauschige Fell wärmen. Doch nur wenige Tage später - zur selben Uhrzeit - erschrickt es beim Zähneputzen: Die Sonne ist weg! Es ist plötzlich dunkel. Wurde die Sonne gestohlen?
Zusammen mit seinem besten Freund, dem schlauen Vogel, begibt sich das Eichhörnchen auf eine witzige und spannende Suche. Die beiden erleben ein überraschendes Abenteuer - voller Spaß, kleiner Rätsel und einer wunderbaren Entdeckung: den Wechsel der Jahreszeiten.

Genres: Picture Books, Summer, Animals, Childrens, Nature, Humor, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 26, 2025

About the author

Alice Hemming is the author of over fifty books for children, including the bestselling Dark Unicorns series (Scholastic), and picture book, The Leaf Thief with illustrator Nicola Slater (Scholastic 2020), which has sold across the world and been translated into nineteen languages. Alice lives in Hertfordshire, UK with her husband and two children, and works in a writing shed at the top of her garden.

Reviews

[Lorellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect story for Tot's who don't like summer bedtime being before sunset.

[Srujan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children's Picture Book 8 of 2026

This whole series is turning out to be so much fun! Kids giggle through the book and learn a few things while at it. Squirrel is really really worried about the days getting shorter and it getting darker earlier every day. It is convinced that the Sun Thief is responsible for this. But with Bird's gentle assurance, Squirrel gets a grasp on concepts of summer turning to winter. It could be an excellent chance to discuss equinoxes and solstices with kids.

Filed under:
* Seasons and Nature
* Equinox and Solstice stories

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich liebe das kleine Eichhörnchen einfach. Wie es ständig zu seinem besten Freund geht, um sich die Welt erklären zu lassen!
Die Illustrationen sind einfach nur traumhaft schön, die Informationen am Ende, wer denn nun die Sonne geklaut hat sind perfekt zum Vorlesen.
Einfach nur eine wunderschöne Reihe, die man auch als Erwachsener einfach nur lieben muss.

*Leseexemplar vom Verlag via NetGalley erhalten*

[Celeste Zuccherina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Απο τα καλύτερα παιδικά βιβλία. Εξαιρετική ιδέα, κείμενο, εικονογράφιση και ποιότητα έκδοσης. Δε μου έχει ξανατύχει να ζητάει το παιδί επανάληψη ανάγνωσης. Έφτασα τις 8 απανωτές αναγνώσεις. Πιάστηκε το στόμα μου!

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

5

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day, Squirrel goes inside at the usual time, but when he comes back outside, the sun is gone. Clearly, this is the work of a thief! Bird helps him understand what solstices and seasonal cycles are, and they even meet some nocturnal animals that help Squirrel understand whose fault the sudden darkness really is.

Well, I would have described the changing daylight hours differently: the presentation struck me as having too few words: "At the beginning of summer, it gets LIGHTER a little bit earlier each evening, but at the end of the summer it gets DARKER a little bit earlier instead." What is this even trying to say? Considering this is the crux of the explanation, I was hoping this would be a little clearer. But I think kids will get it if they think for a little bit, and the rest of the book is a lot of fun. I really like the characters and I'd like to read more in this series.

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Squirrel is enjoying a summer evening with his friend Bird, who excuses himself to go to bed. Squirrel is confused about bedtime while it is still light outside and becomes concerned that someone has stolen the sun when it does not rise as early as it used to. With Bird's help, he learns that summer days are the longest of the year and begin to grow shorter after the summer solstice.

Comments: This would make a fun and humorous mentor text for units on changing seasons and the sun. It could also be used to introduce or reinforce concepts related to the summer solstice and changing daylight hours.

This is one from The Leaf Thief series.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is funny, cute, and educational. I enjoyed reading it with my 5-year old son. The squirrel and the bird are good buddies. The bird helps his friend squirrel understand why at bedtime the sun is shining on some days, but completely gone on other days. There are many educational moments throughout the book that provoked a conversation and a discussion; such as about bats and nocturnal animals. I feel like this book will be one that we come back to at bedtime several times throughout the year; sometimes when the sun is still out, and other times when it is long gone.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! Everything is of the highest quality, including the cover, the pages, the illustrations, the writing, and more. It's very visually appealing, but beyond that the images support the text, which is fantastic. This is the first book I've read in this series, and am so grateful to have won a finished hardback copy in a Goodreads Giveaway. Will now have to buy the other three books (and counting!). Highly recommend to kids and adults alike who are looking for a cute, educational, and funny picture book to enjoy!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Squirrel is deeply concerned when the evenings get dark in the summer. He is convinced someone stole the sun and it will never be light again. Series readers will understand how he responds to many aspects of life, but this can be read as a stand alone also. Bird explains the rotation cycle and why the days get shorter as move toward Fall but Squirrel still is unsure. He sets out to locate the thief which brings hilarity to the situation. Finally, he realizes that Bird is correct and learns to see the fun in the darkness.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

This was cute! I love squirrel's antics of always thinking there is a thief around and I love how calm and patient Bird is. Then the fact that the books in this series tell real science related to the seasons. Great concept! I think I still have a few of them to read. I know I've read The Leaf Thief because it's part of the 2nd grade curriculum in library (it's used as an example of a mystery, which is fun).

[Chazzity ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! It was so cute and such a fun way to explain day lights savings and changing seasons 🥹. Squirrel was my favorite character and I enjoyed his little bath time outfit! Excited to see he has Leaf Thief, Flower Thief, and Snow Thief 🥹 I look forward to including this into my Storytime if I can! Definitely on the longer side but so worth it and it’s good to challenge my library kids anyway! Mightest we’ll do it with something fun anddd that will be super entertaining for my grown ups!

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book in this series, after The Leaf Thief (my favorite), The Snow Thief, and Don't Touch That Flower. Squirrel is worried that the sun is up too long in the evening, and then a few weeks later, at the end of summer, when the sun sets earlier, Squirrel worries again.

A cute back and forth between Squirrel and Bird with a sweet early morning picnic ending (and maybe a bit of rain).

Themes: squirrels/animals, summer, nature, humor
Ages: preK-2nd grade
Pub year: 2026

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gently humorous story about nervous Squirrel and smart Bird. This time Squirrel is totally confused by the longer daylight hours in the summer and then totally freaked out by the decreasing daylight hours at the end of summer. Squirrel is convinced that there is a Sun Thief. Could the thief be an owl or a bat? A lively picture book that will be fun to share! Also don't miss the additional information at the back that explains how the tilt of the Earth's axis effects the sunlight.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute story to help little ones understand the changes in light through Spring to Fall, making bedtime transitions more understandable as these changes occur. Additionally, my toddler LOVES this book and asks for it over and over and over again and also reads it aloud to me and her dad.

I'm grateful to have received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

[Book Nerds In MN · Rating 5 out of 5]

yet another fun book in the the thief series with squirrels shenanigans. believing that as it gets darker in the summer someone must have stolen the Sun, wait till he finds out about daylight savings time! 😂

[Pat Danna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book in the Leaf Thief series. Squirrel and bird are back..now dealing with the Sun Thief! This is a great read-aloud story for children to explore the effects of time change..and seasonal changes. Great back matter included. Delightful illustrations.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love this series. Squirrel is confused because the sun rises and sets at different times during the summer. A great fiction book to introduce the concept of different times the sun rises and sets.

[Chuva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un excellent album pour expliquer les variations d'horaires entre le jour et la nuit nuit au fil de l'année.
Écureuil s'étonne qu'à la fin de l'été il fasse nuit si tôt ! Quelqu'un aurait-il volé le soleil ?

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the leaf seasons series, summer edition
Squirrel is confused at the end of summer the daylight hours are shrinking and he thinks someone is stealing the sun.
Back endpages show and explain the seasonal tilt of the earth

[Željko Filipin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The squirrel is worried again. Did somebody steal the sun?!

[Dorien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weer een tof boek uit deze reeks. Educatief met extra informatie achteraan in het boek. Zeer tof voor kinderen.

[Patrícia Magalhães · Rating 5 out of 5]

Está coleção de livros infantis é genial! A minha filha adora

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute installment of our favorite character

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THESE BOOKS!!!! 😍

[Rachel Dennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging for young readers, good to teach a lesson in a younger elementary classroom about sharing and compassion. Great illustrations

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great way for kids to learn about the length of the days during summer and winter, and about nocturnal animals.
The illustrations are super cute and colorful.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute read about a bird teaching a squirrel why the sun is out later at times and its not at other time.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

so cute

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mo Willems vibe. Cute and engaging story to introduce ideas about the sun, summer, and nocturnal animals.