When a loner sasquatch's turnip garden is besieged by deer, he's having none of that.
For Jasper, life as a sasquatch isn't too bad. He has a nice house in the woods where he lives alone. Just the way he likes it. Being around other animals can be a little stressful. So, Jasper keeps to himself, and life is good, even if some days are a bit lonely.
To keep himself busy, Jasper decides to grow a turnip garden. It's hard work but it's very satisfying. With caretaking, the garden should yield a bountiful crop of yummy turnips.
But one morning, just as the turnips are almost ready for harvest... disaster! Hungry deer have swooped in to eat Jasper's garden! Clever Jasper comes up with a way to thwart these turnip thieves. But as it turns out, the deer are even more clever. Though Jasper tries more and more ways to keep his veggies safe, nothing seems to work.
Then the situation changes, and someone special needs some help. Maybe a little company isn't such a bad thing.
"What I like about this book: I like Jasper's inventiveness. I also like how this book is about more than protecting turnip greens. Because, at the end he realizes that there are good reasons to share your veggies. And he discovers a way to have both solitude and a few close friends."
Archimedes Notebook
"[This] story evolves into one of who is cleverer in a tale that gardeners will especially relate to, and which parents will enjoy reading to the very young, with its colorful confrontations and opportunities for dramatizing sounds."
