Scaredy Squirrel at Night

March 30, 2009
Confronting his phobias one step at a time, Scaredy Squirrel, in his fourth adventure, “never sleeps” because he is so worried that he might have bad dreams about any number of creatures, which include dragons, fairies, ghosts, unicorns, vampire bats and “polka-dot monsters.” Suffering from sleep deprivation, Scaredy decides it's time to confront his fears. Though armed with an arsenal of supplies, among them “cupcakes” and “safety cones,” his “Bad Dream Action Plan” has unexpected results. Scaredy, with his oversized head and wide set of pearly whites, continues to radiate personality. Ages 4–8.

August 1, 2009
K-Gr 2-Children will be delighted as Scaredy Squirrel attempts to face his fear of falling asleep because of bad dreams, and they'll laugh at his absurd lists and action plans. Although the ending is predictable, youngsters will sigh with relief as he finally nods off. The layout includes multiple images as he makes lists and carries out his plans to stay awake all night. The cartoon illustrations, rendered digitally in Photoshop, capture the action and are filled with humorous details. This could be a useful title for guiding children in developing lists and action plans. It would be interesting to see how they would ward off bad dreams."Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2009
Grades K-3 Fretful, neurotic Scaredy, star of Scaredy Squirrel (2006) and Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach (2008), once again confronts his fears. This time, Scaredy is too terrified to sleep, and on lively pages formatted as charts and diagrams, he presents potential night visitors (unicorns, polka-dotted monsters) and how he will guard against them (molasses, banana peels). Some vocabulary words will be a stretch for a young audience (hallucinations, drowsiness), but kids will be amused by the lively, busy compositions packed with silly details, and those who share Scaredys insomniac tendencies will enjoy the reassuring outcome.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
In his fourth spirited adventure, Scaredy Squirrel is determined to avoid bad dreams by staving off sleep. However, nothing incites imagination quite like exhaustion. In order to keep away nightmarish fairies, dragons, and "polka-dot monsters," Scaredy comes up with a plan, and chaos ensues. Great pacing and comic timing in addition to well-designed, detailed, kid-friendly illustrations make this a winner.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)