Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 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
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

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. Grades 1-3. --Stephanie Zvirin

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kids Can Press (March 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554532256
• ISBN-13: 978-1554532254
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,936 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #5 in	Books > Children's Books > Animals > Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels > Squirrels
  #35 in	Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Sports

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review from www.firrkids.com, November 21, 2008

By	www.firrkids.com - See all my reviews

Scaredy Squirrel is off on an another adventure! Summer has arrived, but Scaredy knows the beach is rife with dangerous packs of pirates, mobs of lobsters, and flocks of seagulls. For safety's sake, he opts to build a faux beach right at the base of his own nut tree. His imaginative techniques and improvisational materials result in a satisfactorily realistic beach. The only missing ingredient - a soothing ocean sound.

Scaredy has no choice but to acquire a seashell from the real beach, a dangerous mission. For a phobic squirrel, a beach foray demands a time table, risk identification map, avoidance techniques, and protective body gear. Scaredy quickly discovers there is one variable he neglected to allow for and he is forced to adapt!

These pages are packed with clever little gems just waiting to be discovered. Scaredy's overly-detailed plans and goofy protective gear will have your kids giggling. This Squirrel is so endearing, you can't help but be won over by his quirky nature. He's got issues, but he's also got plenty of hustle and imagination. You gotta love that big toothy grin of his!

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute and funny, September 14, 2009

By	Incurable Romantic "Kathryn" (Waynesboro, PA United States) - See all my reviews

The Scaredy Squirrel series features an adorable, but overly anxious squirrel who empowers himself by facing his fears and consequently learning that many of his fears are perhaps not to be feared at all, rather adventures and most importantly, opportunities for growth. The Scaredy series of books could be used as a tool to help very shy and/or anxious children to put their fears in perspective and perhaps realize that there is a difference between cautiousness and paranoia. My personal favorite in the SS series thus far is "Scaredy Squirrel", the first book in the series - well-crafted and to the point. Though these books are picture books, every child that I have read them to from the ages of 5-11 has laughed and enjoyed them right along with me - perhaps because there is a little "Scaredy" in each of us!

5.0 out of 5 stars Scaredy is fun in the forest and in the sun!, September 4, 2009

By	Bookphile (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Scaredy Squirrel is a very cautious sort. As we have learned over the course of the series, he is something of a germaphobe and has an obsessive need to control his environment at all times. Naturally, the beach isn't the place for a squirrel of such compulsions. Still, even neurotic squirrels need to kick back and so Scaredy has created his own home "beach". He thoughtfully provides step-by-step instructions for completing a home beach and the drawings and text here are particularly funny. When it is completed, it looks quite nice but is missing one important element: that calming ocean sound.

This serves as the jumping-off point for Scaredy's quest to find the perfect shell to provide him with that last bit of ambiance necessary to his beach setup. I have a five-year-old daughter and am well acquainted with the irrational fears of young children. Scaredy shares these fears and refuses to go to the beach because he may find himself besieged by such horrors as packs of pirates and dread sea monsters.

What makes this series so enjoyable is the fact that Scaredy is a very lovable little rodent. His mishaps are outrageous and serve as a gentle example to children of how clinging to irrational fears can cheat one of some truly enjoyable and fulfilling experiences. It is when Scaredy's plans go awry in each book that he finds that things are not only not nearly as bad as he feared, they are actually quite wonderful.

There is a formula to these books that really works. The reader is always presented with Scaredy's particular fear for the book, with an elaborate plan of action for trying at all costs to avoid dealing with this fear, and with the ultimate collapse of his plans. The end result is his trying something new and finding it's not nearly as terrifying as he'd thought. These are extremely valuable messages for children, who are often afraid of stepping outside of their comfort zone. If this little Scaredy squirrel can make it, then so can they.