What do the following things have in common?

Tarantulas, poison ivy, green martians, killer bees, germs and sharks? The answer... Scaredy Squirrel is afraid of them all!

Back in the days when I worked for a Schools Library Service, looking at picture books was one of the best parts of the job. I still enjoy them but am nowhere near as well informed about them as I used to be. Scaredy Squirrel by Michelle Watt is one of my recent favourites. Because his many fears and worries, Scaredy stays safe in his tree, with his emergency kit (a parachute, bug spray, mask, antibacterial soap and sardines) at the ready just in case. In the first book featuring Scaredy he finds out that the Unknown isn't quite as scary as he thought. Moral of the story: be willing to take a few risks!

It's a lovely book - funny but with a really great message. And Scaredy is rather cute! There's a good review of the book and interview with the author on the Calgary Herald website.