Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise

In Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise, a mysterious crate arrives at Scaredy Squirrel’s home. He doesn’t know what it contains, and he doesn’t want to check. Scaredy is worried about what might be “lurking” within the crate, something such as a giant octopus that “will ink” him, a Viking that “will poke” him, or another crate that “will cause splinters”. (p. 21) His friends arrive and try to gently talk him through his thought process. Scaredy solves his problems with the help of his friends—a rabbit named Ivy, a beaver named Tim, and an armadillo named Rash. Rash acts as a foil to Scaredy and shows the importance of balance because he is “never scared,” and acts impulsively. Eventually, the friends unpack the box to find a gift from Scaredy’s grandparents.

Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise is the second book in the “Scaredy’s Nutty Adventures series, the first being Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell. This series of junior graphic novels is a spin-off of the award-winning “Scaredy Squirrel” picture book series. The graphic novel continues many of the conventions readers are familiar with from the picture books, including, humorous labeled illustrations. The longer format of the graphic novel gives Watt room to pace Scaredy’s adventures in a different way from the descriptive and infographic style she typically uses in a Scaredy Squirrel picture book, to one that is more dialogue based.

Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise is broken into several short chapters. It is a good introduction to graphic novels for young readers who are just starting to read longer books.