10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras

Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

North Winds Press (An imprint of Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-16179

 48 pp.

Ages 3–8

January 2026 

 

Mélanie Watt, the creator of Scaredy Squirrel and cheeky Chester, the cat with the red pen, returns with another fun book that blends facts with humour and playfulness. (FYI, there may be 10 facts explained in 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, but there's loads more that is included. Pizza is at the heart of those discussions.)

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

In a series of double-page spreads, Mélanie Watt informs young readers about capybaras, starting with the basic info that they are the biggest rodents in the world. And, with each new spread, readers will learn something new. There are facts about their bodies, from their ever-growing teeth to their webbed feet. There are details about their behaviour, from what they eat to how they communicate and interact with others. 

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

But after the ten facts, the book takes an odd turn. Instead of revealing the unusual way in which capybaras get essential nutrients, Mélanie Watt's capybara interjects with pizza as his answer. The author has to try to get the information back on track with "Fact 11: Capybaras DO NOT eat pizza," though the capybara responds with "Fact 12: Capybaras order PIZZA every day!" And so begins a clever repartee between writer and capybara, and then also a monkey,

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Mélanie Watt is an author-illustrator who not only entertains but also teaches, and she does it with humour and much quirkiness. Her capybara is adorable, as is her monkey, and young readers and a few old ones like me will learn more about these unusual rodents than expected from a picture book. Narrative non-fiction is a fabulous way to share information in an engaging story, and 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras works persuasively to do so. 

From 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Of course, with any Mélanie Watt book, the humour is in the art as well as the text. The capybara's cheekiness is reflected in his words but also in his robust and textured form, his big eyes, and his smile. The focus is always on the capybara, so Mélanie Watt uses few other elements—pizza, monkey, cell phone, legs of birds—to feature him. It's simple but it's fun and informative.

 

I often used Mélanie Watt's books for teaching because they're so entertaining, and 10 Shocking Facts About Capybaras will work just as effectively to teach animal characteristics and to captivate. Add the activities at the Scholastic Canada website for the book, including connect-the-dots, an easy quiz, and a drawing activity, and you've got a nice little package of learning fun for young children.

Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive (Scaredy's Nutty Adventures)

Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Tundra Books

987-0-7352-6961-3

88 pp.

Ages 6-9

October 2023

 

In six perfect chapters, Scaredy Orville Squirrel (abbreviated appropriately as S.O.S.) prepares for Christmas. Starting in July, he makes a checklist to ensure a perfect holiday. Once December arrives, it's time to start checking things off his list. With a little help from his friends– Ivy, a rabbit, Rash, an armadillo, and Timber (Tim), a beaver–Scaredy gets to work with decorations. A mishap with a toboggan almost has their tree festooned in pickles and clown noses, but with some effort and a lot of paint, they get the perfect decorations.

 

Next Scaredy Squirrel enlists his friends to secure the area from holiday troublemakers like nutcrackers, abominable snowmen, last-minute shoppers, and elves.

 

From Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

His plan for a gingerbread house that will last forever–though Ivy questions that intent with "Seriously? I doubt gingerbread can last past Easter"–is put into action to construct a sturdy, albeit inedible, masterpiece.

From Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

While Scaredy has already gotten the perfect gifts for his friends, he gets to wrapping them as they debate what to get for him. Then it's only his Christmas Eve get-together, prepping for Santa's visit, and waking to Christmas morning surprises. Though he couldn't plan for everything, it still is a perfect Christmas for Scaredy Squirrel.

Two things about Scaredy: he's always prepared, and he always does things with safety in mind. Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive is loaded with checklists, plans, files, instructions, and profiles that ensure that things get done and done well and in a timely fashion. From "Scaredy's Christmas TO-DO List" to his instructions on "How to Wrap the Perfect Gift," Scaredy has it covered. (Mélanie Watt even gets the reader primed for Scaredy's predilections with "The Holiday Reader Quiz" before the story even starts, just to make sure the reader is prepared to proceed to the next pages. I got 5 points.)

From Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

As we learned in the first Scaredy Squirrel book, Scaredy is always scared about his safety, and that's why he insists his friends wear painter's suits when painting, why there's a fire extinguisher handy, why they wear masks while varnishing, and why he's so prepared. Still, with his friends who are all a little bit different, whether calm and wise, or bold and impetus, Scaredy is both given reasons to continue to be cautious and reasons to indulge a bit more.

Mélanie Watt has always taken a tongue-in-cheek approach to Scaredy's overcautious nature. Children reading her stories, whether the original picture books or whether the chapter book graphic novel series Scaredy's Nutty Adventures, will both see the wisdom of Scaredy's caution but will laugh at his extreme reactions, from panicking and playing dead when supposedly exposed to a pointy elf or wearing gloves to prevent paper cuts when wrapping gifts. They'll be familiar with many of activities Scaredy and his friends undertake in Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive and so will understand both the nature of his fears and the silliness of his responses, regardless of whether they are brash like Rash or guarded like Scaredy.

From Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

The stories and the humour within have and will always delight young readers, but it's all so much more when Mélanie Watt adds her artwork. Her heavily-outlined characters and objects make them pop off the page but also complement the bold text of Scaredy's lists and instructions. There is nothing subtle about the illustrations or Scaredy so anything less than bold, bright, and lively just wouldn't work. Moreover, Mélanie Watt knows how to add the humour into her drawings, like the helmet Rash undoubtedly needs to wear to keep him safe, the cat mask Rash dons when he can't find a respirator mask when they're varnishing, or Rash's roving toad Chucky who seems to pop up in unexpected places. 

 

It's just the right time now to start your holiday season off, and, with Scaredy and his friends, it'll be easy to get festive. Just watch out for those pointy elves, and Gary the germ, and those last-minute Christmas shoppers, and...

• • • • • • • 

 

Scaredy's Nutty Adventures series

Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell

Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise

Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping

Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Kids Can Press

978-1-894786-86-8

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

April, 2013

Everyone's favourite squirrel, Mélanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel, is back and thinking about camping.  But, he's not thinking about going camping because there are too many hazards and preparations.  So, content to experience the camping experience digitally, Scaredy Squirrel starts setting up his TV.  Oh no! The electrical outlet for the TV is so far away he'll need to prep himself for entering the wilderness after all.

Ever the compulsive planner, Scaredy Squirrel lists the supplies he needs, all the gear for his wilderness outfit, a detailed schedule, training routines, and an elaborate map of the area.  As always, Scaredy Squirrel is prepared for everything, except the one thing that is never part of the plan! Luckily, Scaredy Squirrel always finds a way to accommodate the unexpected, even if he panics at first, and resolves the situation triumphantly.

When Mélanie Watt introduced young readers to this rodent in Scaredy Squirrel (Kids Can Press, 2006), he was an immediate hit.  He's cute, he's compulsive, he's troubled, and he's quick thinking.  And things always seem to go wrong, no matter how prepared he is.  While his books never have predictable endings, they're always satisfying.  And, in Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping, young readers can look forward to Scaredy drifting off into the sunset.  Natural bliss!

If you and yours are planning to enjoy Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping or just a little camping, Kids Can Press provides a few accompanying activities at their website here.

If you haven't enjoyed the full range of Mélanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel books, check out these available or coming soon from Kids Can Press:

• Scaredy Squirrel (Kids Can Press, 2006)
• Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend (Kids Can Press, 2007)
• Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach (Kids Can Press, 2008)
• Scaredy Squirrel at Night (Kids Can Press, 2009)
• Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party (Kids Can Press, 2011)
• Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas (Kids Can Press, 2012)
• Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping (Kids Can Press, April 2013)
• Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween (Kids Can Press, August 2013)