Review by Booklist Review
Boo! Halloween, with its haunted houses and bloody fangs, is cause for serious alarm when you're a nervous squirrel. In this latest in a series of safety guides, which includes Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas (2012), Scaredy Squirrel has assembled a hodgepodge of zany safety tips for getting through October 31 unscathed. There are eight chapters in all; in the chapter dealing with costumes, Scaredy Squirrel models six ensembles, each paired with a scare-o-meter evaluating its fright factor (all but one is deemed terrifying, even though the squirrel couldn't look cuter). Other topics, from carving a pumpkin to planning a bash, receive equally silly treatment. Illustrated in comic book-panel style, this is a jam-packed, fun guide to a highly anticipated holiday (for most, anyways).--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Who better than Scaredy Squirrel to educate readers about the safest ways to survive Halloween? In eight brief chapters, Scaredy explains how best to carve pumpkins (don't use an ax or chainsaw, and "always go with a friendly look"), decorate one's home (stick to "unscary" black and orange items like top hats and popsicles), pick a costume, and host a party ("Pipe organ music makes a great soundtrack for dancing. The very gloomy tempo will slow festivities down"). And if things get too scary, there's always the most Halloween-worthy defense mechanism of all: playing dead. The timid and brave alike will laugh their way through this holiday addition to Watt's series. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-In eight humorous, engaging chapters, Scaredy Squirrel shares a multitude of survival strategies for the holiday by cleverly organizing visual and textual information in the format of a nonfiction book, including a table of contents. A preface notes that "it's time to gather the courage to face the ghoulish festivities!" One tip is a "vacant doghouse gives the illusion that your home is well guarded" and another suggests using "garlic to stink out vampires!" A chapter on costumes suggests layering outfits for warmth, gives directions for making silly costumes, and offers ratings for "unscary, scary, and terrifying" costumes in categories such as "Classics," "Humor," "Fairy Tale," and "Science Fiction." "Halloween Candy" categorizes types of sweets and recommends that an adult inspect candy before a child eats it. Other chapters cover party planning and other activities and offer detailed instructions for playing dead "to confuse predators." Watt's humorous illustrations done with charcoal pencil and Photoshop, along with the witty text, will keep readers coming back to each spread. Use this to discuss parts of a nonfiction book; the difference between fiction and nonfiction; to supplement lessons on charts, sorting, and organization; and to develop and discuss strategies to cope with fearful situations. This essential addition to holiday collections will be of interest all year long.-Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Including a costume scare-o-meter, tips on jack-o'-lantern carving, and the proper method for visiting a haunted mansion (as quickly as you can), Scaredy Squirrel has prepared a safety guide for this very dangerous and frightening holiday. Scaredy Squirrel's own brand of humorous neuroses satisfyingly fills the comic-book illustrations of what is essentially a repeat of his (also story-less) Christmas safety guide. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Popular Scaredy Squirrel sports fangs as he beams from the cover of this "Safety Guide for Scaredies." Following the format of his previous safety guide (Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas, 2012), a preface warns that "Halloween is creeping up quickly, and it's time to gather the courage to face the ghoulish festivities!" Eight brief chapters follow, offering over-the-top advice on decorations, costumes, trick-or-treating, candy and party planning. Of course, "if all else failsplay dead." The mix of diagrams (how to make it through a haunted house as quickly as possible), charts (scariness factor of costumes), lists ("unscary black items to decorate with" include Black Forest cakes and bowling balls) and step-by-step instructions (how to carve a friendly-faced pumpkin) offer kids new ways of reading information. Good tips (inspecting candy before eating it) and comically bad (play gloomy organ music to slow the tempo of a party) intermingle and are delivered with the same earnest tone by the always-cautious, comically overprepared and endearing squirrel. Watt certainly has hit on a formula that provides readers with a familiar but guaranteed-to-be-hilarious experience. Although fans of Scaredy's hypercontrolled world will eagerly devour each page, this may not be the best title to introduce a child to the series; start them with one of his stories instead. (Picture book. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
