Hans Wilhelm has written Never Lonely Again as a good story for children that present animals as the main characters. From the acorn nuts on the first page, it can emphasize that is a squirrel who is lying on the bed. Chestnut, a squirrel, who has a fluffy tail, fat round tummy, and small sharp ears. In addition, it shows his physical appearance. On the other hand, by looking at page 5, it also can emphasize that is an otter who was playing in the water. From the physical appearance, Morris is an otter, who has a tail (but not fluffy as Chestnut’s tail), fat wide tummy, round ears, and bigger than Chestnut. This story is a fable of human-like and might attract young reader’s attention from the characterizations of Chestnut and Morris. They both have different personality: Chestnut is a lonely squirrel and he mostly shows grumpy face, Morris is a friendly otter and always looks cheerful. They also the protagonist in the story because they involved to build up the plot.
Chestnut and Morris have different characterizations in the story. From the first page, it shows that Chestnut was lying on the bed. He was lying to use a blanket on and pillow under his head. He also uses the alarm clock on the last page to set time. The narrative text also gives detail that “Chestnut stayed in bad longer …” and “he didn’t feel like to getting up” it shows kind of human-like. When human feels lonely, had nothing to do, and had no friends to play with, they probably will spend the whole day on the bed like Chestnut said: “‘I might as well keep on sleeping’”. In opposite with Morris, he likes to spend his time exploring and be friends with others. From the next page, he looks enjoy and happy while he was playing with a branch of Chestnut’s tree to jump to the water. “‘Why can’t you come out and play?’” on the next page, his question to Chestnut and presents from the picture that is a frog above his head, it can emphasize he likes to play and be a friend to whomever. In addition, he dried his coat after playing in the water that is also kind of human-likee (presents in the picture above).
Furthermore, Chestnut mostly looks grumpy but Morris does the opposite. When Chestnut shows his grumpy face, he will raise his eyebrows, and he makes crossed hands or his hands on the waist. However, Morris always looks cheerful. When he feels happy, he will smile and makes his mouth open wider. He also will put his hands in the air to express that he is happy. Both of them do what human does from how the way they show the expression.
Their friendship began from Morris who was playing with the branch of Chestnut’s tree
while Chestnut was sleeping. He was making it moved and shook so Chestnut thought it was an earthquake. Chestnut who felt bothered, cried to Morris furiously “‘Are you crazy’” his first cried can emphasize why most of the time he shows a grumpy face. Furthermore, the real reason why he did that because he felt lonely and had no friends to play with, it obviously shows in the narrative text “didn’t want Morris to know that he had no friends …” but actually Morris knows that. “‘Why we otters are always so happy?’” and “‘It’s because every new day we have to make one new friend’” Morris’s statement emphasizes that he is friendly.
Chestnut and Morris decided to go along to see Morris’s friends. In the flower garden, Morris told Chestnut that some of the flowers are his friends but Chestnut did not think the same. He also cried to Morris those are just dumb flowers and made his hands on the waist. However, Morris kept going to show his friends, he told Chestnut to catch a butterfly then set it free again “‘We can’t keep friend locked up’”. Then he said a row of rocks that lead across the river also his friends “‘These friends are more fun than a bridge’” but Chestnut was not quite sure. When Chestnut jumped from stone to stone, he fell into the water because he had nearly made it to the other side of the river.
He climbed to the shore and said angrily to Morris that he thought the water is also one of Morris’s friends. Morris never got mad back when Chestnut cried, he always does the opposite. “‘Water can be fun’” as he showed the waterfall to Chestnut and told that he loves water. After that, Chestnut had laughed and felt a little silly for having been so clumsy. In the last, they dried their coats use wind as Morris’s friend “‘Now let my friend the wind dry our coats’” on the top of hill. This story ended with the resolution of their friendship. Chestnut did get out of his “comfort zone” of being lonely and Morris became his friend. The pages which show Chestnut and Morris stood on the different sides (in the flower garden and when they walked on rocks), it can be a clue that they have different personalities.
This story takes place “forest” as the main characters are animals. Forest is a part of nature, and nature for the characters as a place to live and play, also as a friend. Back to the first page, it shows inside the tree and squirrel’s behavior which brings acorn nuts in. Next to the second page, there are some big trees, ducks and duckling, also the water which Morris’s place to live. In the flower garden, there are so many beautiful flowers and butterflies were flying happily. Then, when Morris showed the waterfall to Chestnut, it is amazing scenery inside the forest. The next nice scenery when they lied down on the grass and watched the sun together. The cows, rocks, and trees can also be clues that the story uses the forest as a setting place. In addition, when they eat apples from the apple tree, and when they paddled to the home together, those are the things that never could find in other places except the forest.
From the color of each picture, it can be a clue of time. First page, the sunlight through the tree’s hole can be a clue that time in the morning. In addition, from Chestnut cried to Morris “‘making such a rattle this early in the day?’” the “early” also can be a clue the start time of day (morning). In the flower garden, until they dry coats after they finished the shower, the yellow color looks so brightly and it is probably in the afternoon time. On the page when they lied down on the grass until they eat apples, it probably ahead of the afternoon. In the last, when they looked on the sky, paddled to home, and said good night to each other, it probably in the evening time as the mixed color of yellow, (almost) dark blue, and orange. The narrative text also emphasizes that is in the evening from “The sun was getting low”.
To sum up everything, Never Lonely Again is a story that presents animals as the main characters who have different personalities. The title actually has a deep meaning. From Morris dialogue “‘That happens to all of us at times’” it is such a message for the readers (esp.young readers) have to always remember that loneliness can come whenever. Moreover, Morris has shown how to manage the loneliness, come out, and fuse to nature. There are many things of nature that can be friends (as a comfort place), such as grass, trees, water, hill, flower garden, etc. In addition to reminding the readers that they have to always keep nature clean. As long as nature clean, everything will look so beautiful.
Furthermore, the cover of the story also showed the same meaning. Behind Chestnut, the color dominated of black and he stood with a gloomy face. On the other hand, the blue color dominated the water and it showed a happy face of Chestnut. Black has dark meaning and blue has good meaning from the cover. A frog and dragonfly are additional characters that mean “a friend”. The loneliness is a deep friend of humans, it can happen whenever, but does not mean it can not be healed. Come out, see the beauty of nature, because the Creator has given it as a great-gift ever. Always keep nature clean, to keep the beauty of nature.