The Silver Tide by Michael Tod
The Silver Tide is an enchanting story by author Michael Tod. Published in 1993 it is the first book of the Woodstock Saga about the introduction of the grey squirrel into the UK native red squirrel population and the impact this had.
I have a soft spot for animal stories, particularly those like Duncton Wood by William Horwood and Watership Down by Richard Adams, where the animals are portrayed acting like animals. I am less keen on the stories where the animals act like humans – wearing waistcoats, jackets and smoking pipes for example. This book falls into the former category and Tod offers us a fully developed, imagined world in his book. For example, the red squirrels have a folklore that they live by, which is remembered by bits of squirrel wisdom called ‘Kernal’s’. Each kernal works as an arrangement of sounds, five, then seven, then five. For example:
One out of eight nuts
Must be left to germinate.
Here grows our future.
These kernel’s are scattered throughout the book, punctuating their adventures and offering them guidance. These kernal’s, like Tod’s other ideas in the book, give the story a richness that I really enjoyed.
The story is based around a community of red squirrels who live around a pond they call ‘Blue Pool’ in Dorset, as the first grey squirrels find it.
“Are you squirrels?” asked Burdock.
“We are. Squirrels of the Silver Kind. Our ancestors came from the Great Lands far away over the water beyond the sunset, but we are now bringing enlightenment to this land.”
Thereby begins the grey squirrels attempted colonisation of the red squirrel community:
“This word – possession – is unknown to me” said Oak.
“Possession, ownership, what’s mine is mine, what’s yours is yours, for as long as you can keep it. The only civilised way to behave, everybody knows where they are. Surely you can understand that?”
Oak tried but the concept was beyond him….. A squirrel couldn’t “own” a tree or a path or a glade! The idea didn’t make sense.
As the story develops, the red squirrels of the Blue Pool flee their home, forcing them into adventures and challenges.
Learning of danger
Leap, scramble, climb hop or run,
Warn all the others.
As the red squirrels travel through the country, the book introduces some unexpected subjects like numbers in the base of 8; the importance of broad gene breeding and genetic diversity; arranged marriages, and others. The book is written so that it touches on a subject, but does not develop the theme overly, instead it provokes further thought. There are echoes of Kipling stories and ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell, however, the books are much more aimed at the younger age range but still make enjoyable reading for adults.
The Silver Tide is a charming and captivating book that I would re-read and I also plan to read the follow-up ‘The Second Wave’.
Each squirrel is Free
To choose its own root through Life –
Guided by Kernal’s
Contributed by Alison
(Published on 15th Apr 2025)
