Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping

by Mélanie Watt

Overview

Scaredy Squirrel is exactly the squirrel your child needs—a little bit anxious, a lot adorable, and totally lovable. He likes the safety of his nut tree, but not so much the great outdoors. And he's about to go . . . camping?!

Scaredy Squirrel is cool with camping . . . as long as he can do it from his couch! Who wants to deal with mosquitos, dirt, and wild animals when he can experience nature on his brand-new TV? Except—uh-oh!—first he has to plug it in, which means LEAVING HIS TREE! Luckily, Scaredy's always got a plan. And he doesn't realize he might just explore the great outdoors along the way.

As young listeners see Scaredy face his fears in the silliest of ways, they gain perspective and courage, empowering them to tackle their own worries with a big smile.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593428962
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	06/15/2021
Series:	Scaredy Squirrel Series
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	335,111
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Author and illustrator Melanie Watt is the bestselling creative genius behind many beloved picture books for children, including the Scaredy Squirrel series, the Chester series, Bug in a Vacuum, You're Finally Here!, Have I Got a Book for You! and Augustine. Melanie's books have received numberous starred reviews from journals including Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and have won many state awards, including the Virginia Readers' Choice Award, North Carolina's Children's Book Award and Maryland's Black-Eyed Susan Award. The Scaredy Squirrel animated television series airs on the Cartoon Network in the US and YTV in Canada.

Editorial Reviews

Why go camping when you can watch it—The Joy of Camping, that is—on television? That's the plan for Scaredy Squirrel, who recognizes that such dangers as penguins, quicksand, mosquitoes, and zippers make camping excursions way too scary. But finding a power outlet for his television requires leaving his tree house and, therefore, some careful planning. Scaredy charts out the survival supplies required for his journey across the campground (they include a "really long extension cord," popsicles, and a dictionary) and maps the path he will take, with the electrical cord demarcating his trail from "the comfort zone" to the electrical outlet. When on his quest, a fearsome penguin encounter (who'd have guessed Scaredy was right about that one?) sends him reeling off course, but Scaredy eventually discovers that the wilderness is "meant to be enjoyed up close!" As in the previous books, the small format and tidy, humorously labeled cartoons make Scaredy's world feel especially immediate and accessible. The loveably neurotic (yet highly resourceful) rodent should continue to help anxious readers see their own fears in a different light. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

His experiences may blaze a trail for readers with a similar aversion to venturing outdoors.” ―Booklist
 
“The irony of a wilderness-fearing squirrel that lives in the wilderness is especially funny in a camping-avoidance context, and the ending is nothing less than sublime.” ―Kirkus Reviews
 
“Kids with anxieties should find much to relate to in Scaredy’s humorous adventures.” ―School Library Journal

From the Publisher

11/19/2021

PreS-Gr 3—True to his name, Scaredy Squirrel goes out of his way to avoid unpleasant situations. However, in attempting to plug in a very long power cable for his indoor television, he ends up on an outdoor adventure that involves more planning and equipment than simply going camping. Watt's visual demonstrations of Scaredy's preparation, including a weather chart, warm-up routine, and carefully mapped guide to the campground, tell a story of their own. There is no dialogue, only narration and labels, though Scaredy makes several smiling demonstrations of his equipment and preparation. All these details, including some dotted-line paths through obstacles, make readers an active participant every step of the way. VERDICT This interactive guide to Scaredy Squirrel's efforts to avoid trouble is absolutely worth the trouble to find and read.—Thomas Maluck, Richland Lib., SC

School Library Journal

The world's most timorous rodent returns for another nonadventure. Scaredy Squirrel has no desire to go camping--"the rugged wilderness" is just too darn scary. Why, out in the wilderness he might encounter quicksand, the Three Bears, penguins and zippers, among other perils. So he resolves to enjoy camping vicariously, via his new television. But electrical outlets are few and far between in the woods, and it looks like Scaredy will have to venture out through the wilderness to a nearby campground to plug in. He assembles his survival kit ("really long extension cord," cement, dictionary and fan), dons his "wilderness outfit" (zipper-free), makes a plan, plots a route, does some calisthenics and, when conditions are right (sun = go; volcanic activity = cancel), sets out. All's going well until--gasp--a penguin (a mini-golf fixture) appears in his path! Scaredy does what he does best: panics and then plays dead. When he wakes, it's to a glorious sunset and the realization that the wilderness may not be so bad after all. Watt and Scaredy hit all the right notes, hewing to the now-familiar formula. While the execution may no longer be startlingly original, that's not what Scaredy or his fans are after. The irony of a wilderness-fearing squirrel that lives in the wilderness is especially funny in a camping-avoidance context, and the ending is nothing less than sublime. Welcome back, Scaredy. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews