Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping (Scaredy Squirrel)

by Melanie Watt (Author)

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping (Scaredy Squirrel)
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

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.

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ALA/Booklist

His experiences may blaze a trail for readers with a similar aversion to venturing outdoors.

Kirkus

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.

Publishers Weekly

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.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2—Scaredy Squirrel has some major anxiety issues, this time with camping. There are all kinds of things to obsess about: skunks, mosquitoes, penguins, quicksand, the Three Bears, and of course, the dreaded zippers. He decides that it's better to stay home and watch television shows about camping. However, Scaredy needs to get his extension cord plugged in, and so must set off on a terrifying trip into the woods to find a power source for his TV set. Fully armed against every possible scenario, he still freaks out when he comes across a penguin, but ultimately manages to enjoy the wilderness up close. The intricate cartoon-style illustrations have loads of humorous details, all depicting Scaredy's many phobias. That he eventually learns to embrace his own version of camping says much for this squirrel's ability to meet his fears head on and overcome them in a creative way. Kids with anxieties should find much to relate to in Scaredy's humorous adventures.—B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 
Melanie Watt
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 numerous 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.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593307465
Lexile Measure
560
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication date
June 15, 2021
Series
Scaredy Squirrel
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV002230 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Squirrels
Library of Congress categories
Humorous stories
Squirrels
Camping
Fear

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