Mélanie Watt
Mélanie Watt (born August 20, 1975 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian children's author and illustrator.[1][2] She is best known for Scaredy Squirrel, which won the Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award and was published in French as Frisson l'écureuil.[3] Melanie Watt's other major picture book series is Chester, which is about a cat named Chester who competes with Watt for the chance to write and illustrate his books. The Chester book received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.[4]
Mélanie Watt | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 20, 1975 |
| Alma mater | Université du Québec à Montréal |
| Occupation(s) | Children's book author and illustrator |
| Notable work | Scaredy Squirrel |
As of 2012, she has sold over two million books that have been translated into 23 languages.[5]
Biography edit
As a child, Mélanie Watt enjoyed drawing the comic strip character Garfield.[6] The Scaredy Squirrel series is influenced by Watt's childhood experiences,[7] including her childhood fear of sharks.[6] She received a BA in graphic design from the Université du Québec à Montréal.[8] In 1999, while enrolled in an illustration class taught by Michele Lemieux, Watt wrote her first story, Leon the Chameleon.[8]
One of her inspirations is children's book author Mo Willems.[8]
She currently resides near Montreal.[3]
Awards and honours edit
Five of Watt's books are Junior Library Guild selections: Leon the Chameleon (2001),[9] Scaredy Squirrel (2006),[10] Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend (2007),[11] Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach (2008),[12] and Scaredy Squirrel at Night (2009).[13]
| Year | Title | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Scaredy Squirrel | Cybils Award for Fiction Picture Books | Winner | [14] |
| 2007 | Scaredy Squirrel | ALSC Notable Children's Books | Selection | [15][16] |
| 2007 | Scaredy Squirrel | Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award | Winner | [10] |
| 2008 | Chester's Back | Cybils Award for Fiction Picture Books | Finalist | [17] |
| 2011 | Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party | Goodreads Choice Award for Picture Books | Nominee | [18] |
| 2015 | Bug in a Vacuum | Cybils Award for Fiction Picture Books | Finalist | [19] |
Works edit
Scaredy Squirrel edit
- Scaredy Squirrel (2006)
- Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend (2007)
- Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach (2008)
- Scaredy Squirrel at Night (2009)
- Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party (2011)
- Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping (2013)
- Scaredy Squirrel Prepares For Halloween (2013)
- Scaredy Squirrel Visits the Doctor (2022)
Chester edit
- Chester (2009)
- Chester's Back! (2013)
- Chester's Masterpiece (2010)
Other works edit
- Leon the Chameleon (2001)
- Colors (2005)
- Augustine (2009)
- You're Finally Here! (2011)
- Have I Got a Book for You (2013)
- Bug in a Vacuum (2015)
References edit
- ^ Quill & Quire. Canadian Magazine Publishers Association. 2005.
- ^ Fortin, Marie-Claude (2012-11-14). "Questions à... Mélanie Watt". La Presse (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ a b "Mélanie Watt | Kids Can Press". Kids Can press. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ "Chester". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- ^ "Best-selling Montreal author values lessons over sales". Montreal. 2012-12-26. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ a b Meet Mélanie Watt, retrieved July 7, 2021
- ^ "Scaredy Squirrel Creator Mélanie Watt on Reading, Writing and Fear". CBC/Radio Canada. October 25, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Author-Illustrator Interview: Mélanie Watt on Scaredy Squirrel". Cynthia Leitich Smith. May 12, 2006. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ "Leon the Chameleon by Mélanie Watt". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ a b "Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ "Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Mélanie Watt". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ "Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Mélanie Watt". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ "Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Mélanie Watt". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ "2006 Cybils Winners". Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards. from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
- ^ "Scaredy Squirrel | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. 2007-09-15. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ "Notable Children's Books: 2007". Booklist. 2007-03-01. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ "2008 Cybils Finalists". from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
- ^ "Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party". Goodreads. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ "2015 Cybils Finalists". from the original on 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
External links edit
- Official website
- Mélanie Watt at Library of Congress, with 2 library catalogue records