by Edwin Tunis
First published 1971
Edwin Tunis steps onto his back porch to find small striped visitors scampering around his doorstep. These chipmunks seem different from the wild creatures he expected. They linger near his home, growing bolder each day. Tunis begins to encourage their visits, offering food and observing their behavior. The chipmunks respond to his attention, gradually becoming comfortable with human contact. As days pass, the boundary between wild animal and pet begins to blur. Tunis records their individual personalities, their feeding patterns, and their social interactions. What started as casual wildlife observation becomes an intimate relationship between human and animal. The chipmunks claim his doorstep as their territory, and Tunis finds himself claimed in return. This gentle story captures the unexpected joy of connecting with wild creatures who choose to trust.
Genres: nature, animals, non-fiction
Vibes: gentle, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, man-and-animal
69 pages · Hardcover · Ty Crowell Co