Having permanently damaged his tail playing with a new squirrel Alex gets released in a new location where getting lost in the wilderness of the redwood forest maybe the only way to find his way home.

SYNOPSIS:

Alex had no way of knowing at the time that the decision he made to go play with a new squirrel was going to change his life forever.

Alex is a shy, unassuming squirrel that gets injured showing off with a new squirrel at the library. Having permanently damaged his tail, he feels embarrassed by how he looks and is mad at himself for having gone to make friends with a new squirrel.

After he gets taken to a wildlife rescue center Alex recovers and is then released in a city park at the edge of town, across the creek from a redwood community forest. Upon being released Alex finds himself in unfamiliar surroundings and ends up dashing across the bridge and into the wilderness of the redwood forest after encountering a cat under a tree.

Alex’s release is witnessed by a group of local squirrels known as The Jupiter Hollow Gang. Their leader is Zeke. He is a charismatic, self-assured natural born leader and is good at everything he tries. Tuk is an energetic chipmunk that is a happy go lucky social butterfly and always brings the joy. Marshall is a grey squirrel and much larger than either Zeke or Tuk. Having lost his father and his little brother earlier in the year, Marshall has become risk adverse and chastened by the experience. He is the bridge between Zeke and Tuk.

While Tuk is curious about the new squirrel, Zeke is not so the gang heads over to a neighboring yard in the hopes of getting some of the bird food Marshall’s grandfather is attempting to gain access to.

Seeing the newbie run into the forest, Tuk insists they go help the new squirrel because he doesn’t know about their archenemies: the wood rats, lead by Mr. Nice and his muscle, Tiny. Tiny is a rat of unusual size due a stash of power bars he found.

Meanwhile Alex sees a different squirrel that he follows deep into the redwoods hoping to get some idea of how to get back to the city park. He doesn’t know this squirrel an ally of the wood rats and is leading him on to their home turf.

Shortly after the wood rats have Alex cornered The Jupiter Hollow Gang members arrive on the scene and try to rescue Alex from their woodland rivals.

Their “rescue” results in a three dimensional chase through the redwoods.

Alex’s injury resulted in the tip of his tail being twisted so when he leaps he goes in an unknown direction. This hampers the squirrels as they try to get back to the park.

Alex gets separated from the gang during the chase and he can get away but decides to take a risk and help Zeke, Marshall and Tuk despite having just met them. Moving beyond what he believes was the biggest mistake in his life: making friends with a new squirrel.

The final escape from the hoard of wood rats chasing them involves Tuk helping the squirrels get away by going underground into his grandfather’s winter burrow. Squirrels don’t hibernate or go underground but in order to escape the wood rats they have to.

In the end Alex, having ventured deep into the redwoods, returns to the park and this time he is not alone.

Overcoming your fears, learning more about yourself, surviving being vulnerable, making friends and being a hero in your own life are main themes in this story.