Monday, April 07, 2008

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