Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

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Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary, a collection of sixteen short animal-themed stories by David Sedaris, illustrated by Ian Falconer (Little, Brown and Company, 2010). 

This book is not for everyone, and although I suppose the same could be said for all of his collections, this one seems even more in need of a little warning label.  It's illustrated (by an author/illustrator of books for children); it's a collection of, essentially, fables; and the protagonists are animals.  Some of the stories have violent twists or other unsavory elements, though, and there is often accompanying artwork.  With that caveat, these were my favorites:

The squirrel and the chipmunk had been dating for two weeks when they ran out of things to talk about. 
--From "The Squirrel and the Chipmunk," pp. 14-21, which was originally broadcast in a slightly different form on Public Radio International's This American Life with host Ira Glass (February 10, 2006). 

 

Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—"A rescue snake," she'd be quick to inform you.  This made it sound like he'd been snatched from the jaws of a raccoon, but what she'd really rescued him from was a life without her love.  And what sort of a life would that have been?

--From "The Mouse and the Snake," pp. 40-49.  

. . . "They are too your children," [my wife had] said, referring to her last litter, a party of four that looked no more like me than that ---- of a raccoon.  I knew they were fathered by the English bull terrier across the street, but what are you going to do?  Everyone's entitled to one mistake, aren't they?  
--From "The Faithful Setter," pp. 60-73.