A completely barmy picture book but it’s guaranteed to get a lot of laughs from both parent and child as they read it together. It’s just as well squirrels don’t ever meet sharks or martians or tarantulas in real life otherwise we humans would never get to see them.
Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his nut tree. It's way too dangerous out there. He could encounter tarantulas, green Martians or killer bees. But in his tree, every day is the same and if danger comes along, he's well-prepared. Scaredy Squirrel's emergency kit includes antibacterial soap, Band-Aids and a parachute.
Day after day he watches and waits, and waits and watches, until one day … his worst nightmare comes true! Scaredy suddenly finds himself out of his tree, where germs, poison ivy and sharks lurk.
But as Scaredy Squirrel leaps into the unknown, he discovers something really uplifting …
How did you get involved with children’s books? Through Michèle Lemieux, my illustration teacher in university. One of our assignments was to create a book about color. I decided to write a story about a chameleon to help explain complementary colors to children. I later sent my book project, Leon the Chameleon, to Kids Can Press.
What was your training or schooling? I have a college degree in graphic design and a bachelors of arts in graphic design from the Université du Québec à Montréal.
Do you have any tips for young creators? If you find something that you enjoy and are passionate about, don’t hesitate to follow that path. It’s amazing what you can accomplish by focusing on things you love doing! I was in administration for two years before I realized that it wasn’t for me and that I wasn't motivated. When you’re in an environment where you don’t fit in, you start to think that you are the one with the problem. It can be very discouraging! When you’re in an environment where you feel comfortable and where you can contribute something, that’s when you feel good about yourself!
