Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend

This is a very humourless storybook; it will NOT make you laugh!

I love how Frisson (Scaredy Squirrel's name in French) creates such humorous, elaborate plans to make a friend, but winds up making an unexpected friend in the most unintentional way!

I love this book! Not only is it hilarious, it is educational. I am a reading teacher and there are so many great ways to use this book in the classroom. It is a wonderful ice breaker at the beginning of the year because as Scaredy Squirrel works to make "the perfect friend" you can use this book to discuss with your kids what they might do to make friends. You can also discuss what personality types they feel make the "perfect friend." It is a delightful book, and kids of all ages enjoy this wonderfully crafted story. :)

All the books in the Scaredy Squirrel series are wonderful. My 7 yr old son loves them! He was particularly excited about the appearance of Godzilla in one of the stories (that's his other obsession at the moment). I definitely recommend this whole series. As an adult, I find them hilarious , too! Even the jacket flap info is cute. We can't wait for the next one. I hope the author writes more.

I love Scaredy Squirrel. I was updating some computers the other day, and - to help pass the time - I happened to pick up a copy of Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend. This little guy is so cute and funny, and I can identify with him because I've always been a bit of a scaredy squirrel myself. Scaredy doesn't really have any friends because he's afraid to leave his tree. It's a dangerous world out there, and a squirrel never knows when he might be set upon by a deadly rabbit, piranha, walrus, or even Godzilla. Then one day, Scaredy spots someone who passes his Perfect Friend test with flying colors - a squeaky clean, quiet, 100% safe goldfish. It's time to put Operation First Impression into effect. It's a pretty elaborate plan he's drawn up which involves a number of objects, including - of course - his "Hello, My name is Scaredy" nametag, mittens to avoid the effects of sweaty paws, the creation of a careful distraction, and more. Ever wary of danger, he also has a backup plan to avoid contact with any potentially harmful creature. As luck would have it, he's barely out of his tree before his handy little mirror reveals a wet, dirty, toothy dog coming up behind him. The chase is on, wearing Scaredy down to the point that he eventually falls back on his plan of last resort - playing dead. Then a funny thing happens. The dog doesn't go anywhere. Eventually, Scaredy realizes that the dog is just looking for a friend, just like he is. This is a great book for young children, especially those who tend to be on the shy side. The artwork is colorful, engaging, and fun, and the very entertaining story does a great job of teaching youngsters that you can't judge an animal (or person) by appearance alone - and that you won't make any good friends if you're too timid to get to know those around you. The best friend you'll ever have may be the last person you would ever expect him/her to be.

I absolutely loved the Cybils-winning picture book Scaredy Squirrel, by Mélanie Watt. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to report that Scaredy Squirrel is back with a sequel. And it's even better than the first book. In Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, our neurotic young friend gradually comes to realize that spending all of his time alone up in a tree is perhaps not the most fun that life has to offer. He sets out on a mission to make a friend, though the friend who he ends up with is not quite the one that he expected. This book has all of the attributes that worked in the first book, strong line drawings, expressive icons, and a mix of full-page and smaller inset panels. The icons include a variety of individuals who might be biters, and hence are not promising friend material (including Godzilla and bunnies). The activities that Scaredy Squirrel undertakes by himself to pass the time include knitting and chatting with a sock puppet. The "perfect friend" that he identifies has various safe attributes (including being germ-free, with the same germ icons from the previous book). And Scaredy Squirrel's plan for making a perfect first impression is hilarious. "Make sure name tag is visible." "Wear mittens to hide sweaty paws." And so on. Don't you love a book that makes you laugh? Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend made me laugh out loud on nearly every page. I think that the funniest was Scaredy's Risk Test for potential friends, including incisive questions like "What's your hobby? Biting or other." Oh, I'm simply in love with this book. Parents will like it because it's well-constructed, with engaging pictures and entertaining text. Kids will like it because they'll be able to relate to Scaredy's fears, while feeling superior due to not being quite so fearful themselves. If you know any kids about to start Kindergarten, or about to enter any environment where they'll be meeting new people, you simply must buy them this book. This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on April 7, 2007.

Scaredy Squirrel is back, and this time he's preparing to make a friend. And preparing is the right word as Scaredy Squirrel does not go into the world unarmed. In fact, Scaredy Squirrel even knows ahead of time who would make a good friend and who wouldn't: "A few individuals Scaredy Squirrel is afraid to be bitten by: walruses, bunnies, beavers, piranhas, Godzilla." Scaredy Squirrel decides on a goldfish as a new friend, because he has a "bubbly personality," is "squeaky clean" and "quiet" and, most importantly, has "NO teeth" and is "germ-free." A goldfish doesn't do much, "BUT is 100% safe!" But a funny thing happens on the way to the pond. A dog begins to chase Scaredy Squirrel and, after several hours of playing dead, Scaredy realizes the dog only wants to play. Scaredy must reevaluate and finds his "almost perfect friend" has "muddy paws," "wet doggy smell," a "loud bark," "drool," "germs," and "tooth." Most poignantly, dog is "83% safe, but Lots of Fun!" Aren't all good friends the same? Mélanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel books are charming not only because they give a scaredy squirrel (or kid) a little nudge, but also because her cartoonish illustrations are cheerful, drop-dead funny, and full of intriguing details. She also indulges the little ones with series of lists as Scaredy goes about his day. (Have you ever noticed how much the 3- to 5-crowd loves a good list?) For example, when Scaredy is preparing to befriend goldfish, we learn of "A few items Scaredy Squirrel needs to make the Perfect Friend: lemon, name tag, mittens, comb, mirror, air freshener, toothbrush, chewtoy." Each item is placed in its own illustrated box. The air freshener does come in handy, but I won't spoil the pleasure in finding out how. "Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend" is perfect for the three- to seven-year old reader and is an excellent choice for a school or library read aloud. Risk-averse children everywhere will thank you.