• Age: 3 to 8
• Grade: p to 3

See below for English description.

Frisson l’écureuil n’aime PAS les surprises. Lorsqu’il reçoit une mystérieuse boîte au pied de son arbre, il est tout sauf content. En fait, il s’inquiète de tout ce qu’il pourrait trouver à l’intérieur. Une pieuvre géante? Un robot? Une licorne? Frisson décide de se séparer de la boîte le plus rapidement possible!

L’auteure et illustratrice récompensée Mélanie Watt propose une nouvelle aventure de Frisson pleine de surprises.

Frisson l’écureuil does NOT like surprises. When he receives a mysterious box at his nut tree, he’s less than thrilled. In fact, he starts freaking out about everything that could possibly be inside. A giant squid? A robot? A unicorn? Frisson decides that he needs to get rid of this surprise box, and FAST!

Award-winning author and illustrator Mélanie Watt brings readers another hilarious Frisson story that’s full of surprises.

Original title: Scaredy’s Nutty Adventures #2: Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise

La jeune auteure-illustratrice Mélanie Watt, née à Trois-Rivières, a remporté pour son travail de prestigieuses récompenses, dont le Prix Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz, le Prix Blue Spruce et le Prix Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon, tous les trois pour Frisson l'écureuil.

It was in a design class taught by Michèle Lemieux at the University of Quebec in Montreal that author and illustrator Mélanie Watt created her first picture book, Leon the Chameleon, which was later published by Kids Can Press. Watt went on to create several more books, including the Learning with Animals collection and Augustine, which was named an ALA Notable Children's Book. Watt has also illustrated Where Does a Tiger-Heron Spend the Night? and Bearcub and Mama, which won the 2006 IRA Teachers” Choices Project.

Mélanie's best known book, Scaredy Squirrel, has won many awards, including the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children”s Book Award for Children”s Picture Book and the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator”s Award. The release of Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend was met with enthusiastic reviews and incredible sales, confirming the arrival of kid lit's newest superstar. Chester, Chester's Back! and Chester's Masterpiece are about a megalomaniac cat who is every bit the antithesis to Scaredy. Chester has already become a bestseller, and shows the breadth and creativity of Mélanie Watt.

Scaredy returns to take a few more tentative steps out of his comfort zone in Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach and Scaredy Squirrel at Night. Mélanie has often noted how the Scaredy Squirrel books helped her work out her own insecurities and fears, as the success of these titles has required her to venture out into the unknown, and like Scaredy she has found the experience truly uplifting.

Mélanie currently resides near Montreal, Quebec.

Melanie Watt's profile page

• Commended, Sélection Communication-Jeunesse