Melanie Watt Day!!! Hooray!

What?!!! You don't know who Melanie Watt is? Well, you should! She's only one of the most AWESOME children's book author and illustrator!!! Alive!! Yes, she's alive and well and living in Montreal! Maybe we can get her to come to Troy?

First, let's start with the basics. Here are a couple of the bazillion books she's done:

	Have I Got A Book For You This is the booksellers book. Or it's the librarian's book. Or it's the parent's book. But really, it's the book for YOU. It's done in the style of a person who is pitching an item. But not just ANY item, we're talking about a book. But not just ANY book! It's THIS book. A clever salesperson (some on the staff say it looks like me, but I ask you, WHERE is the moustache?!) tries to sell you this book, with every ploy possible. You may recognize some of the tactics. It's truly funny. (Or at least it will make you grin if you have NO sense of humor. But please, don't buy it for yourself, buy it for your kids, they laugh more than you do, anyways, right?
	Scaredy Squirrel at Night This is the most recent of Scaredy Squirrel books. Yes, if you can't guess by the title, this squirrel is afraid of lots of things, especially things that can get you in the night! It's a perfect book to help talk to kids (and maybe a few adults) about their fears. I think many of us have had a bit of a Scaredy Squirrel in us at one time or another.
	Scaredy Squirrel (the orginal!) Check out the notes above, but this book introduces our fearful hero! He's ready for any emergency because you never know when something could happen!
	Chester This is my first awareness of the brilliance of Melanie Watt. This funny story is about a cat, but a second author imposes the editorial pen (uh, marker) to the story to turn the plot in a different direction. Melanie Watt is such a funny writer. She'll have you and your kids howling. (Really, I'm not just saying this. I'm normally a very serious bookseller, but her books just totally crack me up!) See picture below... is that the face of bookseller who laughs a lot?

Okay, that's just to get you started, bring you up to speed. Do you recognize any of these books? No? Get thee to an independent bookstore, soon! Your life and your children's lives depend on it.

[Caution: Serious Bookseller below]