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. She went on to create several more books including the Learning with Animals collection and Augustine. Mélanie 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 the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award for Children’s Picture Book, the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award and was named an ALA Notable Children’s Book. The release of the sequel, Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, was met with enthusiastic reviews and incredible sales, confirming the arrival of kid lit’s newest superstar. In early 2008, Scaredy returned to take a few more tentative steps out of his comfort zone in Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach. 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.

In addition to building the successful Scaredy Squirrel series, Mélanie released the meta-textual picture book Chester in 2007. The title character, a megalomaniac cat armed with a red marker, is every bit the antithesis to Scaredy. A sequel, Chester’s Back! was released in 2008 and offers more laughs, red marker slashes and lively artwork from Mélanie Watt.
Mélanie currently resides near Montréal, Quebec.