________________ CM . . . . Volume XIX Number 33. . . .April 26, 2013

cover

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping.

Mélanie Watt.
Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2013.
32 pp., hardcover, $16.95.
ISBN 978-1-894786-86-7.

Kindergarten-grade 5 / Ages 5-10.

Review by Robert Groberman.

**** /4

   

excerpt:

The Campground Mission

Place a walkie-talkie at foot of tree to stay in contact.
Mosquitoes are itching to get you! Fan yourself to blow off these thirsty critters!
Quicksand will bring you down! To avoid that sinking feeling, mix in cement. (Text from illustration of Scaredy's imagination)

 

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping is Mélanie Watt's newest picture book featuring Scaredy Squirrel. In each book, including this one, Scaredy decides to take on a new challenge, to do something he has never done, and then to face his fears which prevent him from doing, well, just about anything. In this volume, Scaredy wishes to enjoy camping, but, because he fears everything about real camping, including skunks, water, penguins and The Three Bears, he decides he will watch camping on tv from the safety of his tree. He needs only to plug in his television's extension cord. The further adventure involves Scaredy preparing to suit up to go out into nature and to traverse a campground to find an electrical outlet. In doing so, he comes face-to-face with his most feared situations and predators. In the process, he learns that the scary things are not that scary, that he loves nature, and that camping is fun.

internal art     Children will love the story and, as always, the fascinating and detailed illustrations, also by author Watt. The illustrations are full-colour and take up the whole page. Text is set on top of the illustrations. Some full-page pictures are maps, annotated with the author's notes. Others are checklists or broken up into boxes like a graphic novel.

      Young readers who enjoy camping will see themselves in this story, and any child who has ever been afraid or even loved going into the woods will find charm and humour in Scaredy's adventure.

Highly Recommended.

Robert Groberman is a grade three teacher at Kirkbride Elementary School in Surrey, BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
Hosted by the University of Manitoba.
 

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