| Mélanie Watt | |
| Birth Date: | 20 August 1975 |
| Birth Place: | Montreal, Quebec |
| Alma Mater: | Université du Québec à Montréal |
| Occupation: | Children's book author and illustrator |
| Notable Works: | Scaredy Squirrel |
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. Chester (2009), the first book in the series, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.[4]
As of 2012, she has sold over two million books that have been translated into 23 languages.[5]
As a child, Mélanie Watt enjoyed drawing the comic strip character Garfield. The Scaredy Squirrel series is influenced by Watt's childhood experiences,[6] including her childhood fear of sharks. She received a BA in graphic design from the Université du Québec à Montréal.[7] In 1999, while enrolled in an illustration class taught by Michele Lemieux, Watt wrote her first story, Leon the Chameleon.
One of her inspirations is children's book author Mo Willems.
She currently resides near Montreal.
Five of Watt's books are Junior Library Guild selections: Leon the Chameleon (2001),[8] Scaredy Squirrel (2006),[9] Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend (2007),[10] Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach (2008),[11] and Scaredy Squirrel at Night (2009).[12]
| 2006 | Scaredy Squirrel | Cybils Award for Fiction Picture Books | Winner | [13] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | ALSC Notable Children's Books | Selection | [14] [15] | ||
| Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award | Winner | ||||
| 2008 | Chester's Back | Cybils Award for Fiction Picture Books | Finalist | [16] | |
| 2011 | Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party | Goodreads Choice Award for Picture Books | Nominee | [17] | |
| 2015 | Bug in a Vacuum | Cybils Award for Fiction Picture Books | Finalist | [18] |