Review by Booklist Review
That worrywart Scaredy Squirrel (2006) returns in another hilarious tale, this time contemplating a beach vacation. Concerned about falling coconuts, seagulls, and lobsters, however, he decides to build his own beach. After a burst of squirrel creativity, he is soon lounging on a bed of kitty litter, soaking in sun from a flashlight, and contemplating the water in his inflatable pool. Unfortunately, there's something amiss, which puts Scaredy on course to a real beach to acquire a seashell. As might be expected, his preparations for the visit involve much more than just packing a suit. In fact, the only thing that slips beneath his radar are people who eventually win him over and also inspire a funny addition to his own sunbather's haven. In appealing, flat colors, Watt's cartoon-style pictures (full spread and graphic-novel-style panels) add joke after joke. With simple shapes bordered in distinctive ribbons of black and white, they deliver a surprise on every page as the obsessive squirrel, with toothy grin and boundless imagination, scampers around, trying to anticipate everything that can go wrong.--Zvirin, Stephanie Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Scaredy Squirrel is frightened by everything associated with the beach-seagulls, sea monsters, jellyfish, etc. He decides to vacation alone, at home, and creates a beach environment with a bag of kitty litter, a plastic flamingo, a flashlight for sunlight, etc. Something is missing, though-the sound of the ocean. The squirrel then devises an elaborate plan to retrieve a seashell (unoccupied) from the real beach by mailing himself to the shore. He has such a good day there-amid the crowd of people-that he forgets his fears and decides to populate his personal beach with a crowd of garden gnomes. Children with fears of the unknown will relate to this tale. The simple story line explains Scaredy Squirrel's worries, plans, and activities in a humorous way. Digitally rendered illustrations in pastel, Floridian colors add amusing details. This is an excellent book to share one-on-one.-Erlene Bishop Killeen, Stroughton Area School District, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In his third adventure, Scaredy Squirrel decides that the safest way to enjoy the beach is to create one in his own backyard. But capturing the sound of the ocean requires the perfect shell--from the "REAL beach"--and careful planning ensues (and unravels). Smart writing and playful, varied, child-friendly illustrations characterize this book. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Scaredy Squirrel's come a long way since he plunged out of his nut tree in his 2006 self-titled debut. With the aid of some props (kitty litter, inflatable pool, plastic flamingo), he has created his own private, safe beach at the foot of his nut tree. But when he realizes that he is missing "the soothing sound of the ocean," he decides to make the dangerous journey to the real beach to fetch back a shell. Watt employs many of the same devices that have made Scaredy Squirrel's outsized fears and outrageous defenses both recognizable and hilarious: A plethora of protective equipment--helmet, boots, rubber band--guard against a bevy of beach dangers--tons of falling coconuts, tribes of jellyfish, mobs of lobsters--when Scaredy mails himself to the seaside. The signature illustrations, generated in Photoshop, provide plenty of visual jokes for readers to chuckle over as Scaredy follows a protocol as tortured and formulaic as a passage through airport security. If said formula threatens to become stale with overuse, Scaredy's anxieties and his ridiculous solutions remain fresh enough to delight with this salty offering. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
