Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach
by Melanie Watt
Kids Can Press
Okay, Scaredy fans, the squirrel's back, with his neuroses kicked up a few notches. This time, he's off to the beach. Or, er, not. Maybe just a rendition of the beach at the foot of his nut tree, made with kitty litter and an inflatable pool.
Yep, he's just as jittery as ever, armed this time with enough protective gear for a minefield, and he doesn't miss an important opportunity to play dead. And, yes, he does wind up at the real beach after much fuss and to-do.
If you've read the other installments (reviews here and here), you're going to find this one a tad predictable. For kids, that's a good thing. They know where Scaredy lives, they have his overcautious M.O. down pat and there's still a giggle a page, perhaps more so for all the anticipation.
Still, it's overdone compared to the previous books, with Watt cramming ever more items into maps and diagrams. I end up vaguely pointing to a page, exclaiming, "Look at all the stuff he's got on!" and leave it at that. The crowding overwhelms the small format, which Watt used so adroitly to comic effect in the previous books.
Scaredy fans who must have this book will still welcome their nutty friend, but I'm starting to fret that the franchise is losing some of its freshness.
Rating: *\*\
Comments