“Spot: Living Under the Roof” by Urban Squirrels, Part 2 of 2

In 2025, Urban Squirrels published “Spot: Living Under the Roof,” a heartwarming illustrated book written by Estonian British writer Nadia Raud, with enchanting artwork by German illustrator Anna Schmidt and an English translation by Urban Squirrels co-founder and director Natalia Doran (vegan). Ms. Raud shares some of her experiences with grey squirrel-citizens. “They’re back to my place to eat, but they also bring me some gifts, to be honest. And once, one squirrel brought me a really nice, tiny stone to my kitchen, and she exchanged it for the nuts. I think they are very kind, and they just love to support your person.” “I wanted it to be still an illustration for the kids, but still a very realistic animal, and not super bright colors, something really nice and gentle.”

Natalia Doran speaks about the turning point that made her become vegan. “And they were a ‘high welfare’ farm. The cows there were beef cows rather than dairy cows. Then they died at 18 months or two years.” Natalia Doran and Nadia Raud share what messages they hope readers will take away from the book. “And also, I hope the people just decide to make less fireworks because it’s really bad for animals. They are so scared of this, and not only dogs and cats inside the house, but also wild animals.” “It’s about acceptance. Because Spot starts off as the weakest animal. But he recovers, and he’s loved. So, if a child has anxiety, the book will take them where the anxiety is at and resolve it. So, it is actually very therapeutic.”