Interview: Scaredy Squirrel

Welcome to Day One of the Scaredy Squirrel/Mélanie Watt blog tour.

I have the honor of hosting Scaredy himself and, frankly, I'm thrilled. I have a lot of respect for a squirrel who is prepared for any situation. Scaredy knows when to pack the first aid kit, when to watch out for germs, when to run away. Scaredy understands you just can't be too careful.

Thankfully, despite all potential pitfalls, Scaredy accepted my missive to the Nut Tree and answered a few questions about his life in the fast lane.

Please join me in welcoming Scaredy Squirrel to Big A little a!

KH: The world can be a scary place, I think we can agree. Recently you took a trip to the beach, which was scary to say the least. What do you think of the beach now? What’s your next challenge?

Scaredy Squirrel: I was surprised to see that crowds of PEOPLE were at the beach. Who would have thought?

But luckily for me, they were a nice group and I was able to join in the beach fun with my passport at hand at all times.

My next challenge and adventure will take place at night time...I like to "sleep" with one eye open in case something creeps up on me!

KH: What’s the best thing about being a squirrel?

Scaredy: I’m pretty quick; I can outrun a walrus anytime!

KH: The worst?

Scaredy: Having to run on my four paws… all those germs!

KH: Which animals in the backyard and the park (cats, dogs, mice) do you like best and why? Which are the least scary?

Scaredy: I like goldfish most of all because they are 100% safe. Cats are about 32% safe. Dogs like Buddy are 83% safe and mice are 54.6% safe and don’t get me started on pigeons!

KH: What is your favorite (safe) thing to do with your free time?

Scaredy: Whistling because reading the phone book could end up in a severe paper cut!

KH: Tell us about a typical day in the life of Scaredy Squirrel.


Scaredy: I wake up, eat a nut, look around, eat a nut, look around, eat a nut and go to sleep (with one eye open). You know, the usual...Like everyone else.

KH: Do you know Mélanie? Is she nice to squirrels?

Scaredy: Yes, I have met her a few times. We have a good work relationship. Overall, she’s nice; she has 32 teeth and hasn’t tried to bite me. We have a lot in common. She enjoys looking at the view and she’s also afraid of sharks and jellyfish.

KH: I really hate to bring this up, but I have to ask: Have you met Chester? (Chester is the interfering Cat hero of Mélanie Watt's Chester. Read a review here.)

Chester is quite a cat!

You bet yah SCARY!

Chester I’m Scaredy not Scary!

Doesn’t matter! I’M the REAL star!

KH: Children everywhere, Scaredy, enjoy your adventures. But be honest: What do you think of children? Don’t they make you a little bit nervous?

Scaredy: I think kids are great! Especially after brushing their teeth and washing their hands!

I avoid direct eye contact with them but they have written amazing letters to me and given me some great pointers to help me face my fears.

Kids out there really care and so I’m willing to go out into the unknown, book after book, and make them giggle with my nutty adventures.

KH: Thanks for stopping by Big A little a, Scaredy. You be careful out there, you hear?
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You can read my review of Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend here.
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Don't miss the rest of Scaredy Squirrel's blog tour. Here's the schedule:

April 8: Scaredy Squirrel past, present and future at Book Buds
April 9: How the Scaredy stories work at different age levels at Jen Robinson's Book Page
April 10: Talking with Mélanie Watt about writing at Hip Librarian's Book Blog
April 10: Kids’ questions for Scaredy Squirrel at Metrowest News
April 11: Mélanie Watt talks about Scaredy Squirrel at MotherReader

Review: Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend

Scaredy Squirrel is back, and this time he's preparing to make a friend. And preparing is the right word as Scaredy Squirrel does not go into the world unarmed. In fact, Scaredy Squirrel even knows ahead of time who would make a good friend and who wouldn't:

"A few individuals Scaredy Squirrel is afraid to be bitten by: walruses, bunnies, beavers, piranhas, Godzilla."

Scaredy Squirrel decides on a goldfish as a new friend, because he has a "bubbly personality," is "squeaky clean" and "quiet" and, most importantly, has "NO teeth" and is "germ-free." A goldfish doesn't do much, "BUT is 100% safe!"

But a funny thing happens on the way to the pond. A dog begins to chase Scaredy Squirrel and, after several hours of playing dead, Scaredy realizes the dog only wants to play. Scaredy must reevaluate and finds his "almost perfect friend" has "muddy paws," "wet doggy smell," a "loud bark," "drool," "germs," and "tooth." Most poignantly, dog is "83% safe, but Lots of Fun!" Aren't all good friends the same?

Mélanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel books are charming not only because they give a scaredy squirrel (or kid) a little nudge, but also because her cartoonish illustrations are cheerful, drop-dead funny, and full of intriguing details. She also indulges the little ones with series of lists as Scaredy goes about his day. (Have you ever noticed how much the 3- to 5-crowd loves a good list?) For example, when Scaredy is preparing to befriend goldfish, we learn of "A few items Scaredy Squirrel needs to make the Perfect Friend: lemon, name tag, mittens, comb, mirror, air freshener, toothbrush, chewtoy." Each item is placed in its own illustrated box. The air freshener does come in handy, but I won't spoil the pleasure in finding out how.

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend is perfect for the three- to seven-year old reader and is an excellent choice for a school or library read aloud. Risk-averse children everywhere will thank you.
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The prequel to Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, Scaredy Squirel, was the 2006 Cybils Picture Book winner.

Review copy supplied by Raab Associates.