Gloria The Chipmunk And so begins science fiction writer and poet Richard Tornello's children's debut, Gloria the Chipmunk, a fascinating and beguiling collection of three fables for intermediate readers.  Playful, engaging, and complemented by full color illustrations and graphite sketches, these earthy tales introduce a plucky nut gatherer named Gloria.  Given the opportunity - and a few adventures - Gloria will prove to the entire forest that she is one tough nut gatherer to crack.