Usually in October I focus this column on Halloween books for children, or age-appropriate spooky titles for older children. But I personally don’t like spooky stories and I know there are many children who don’t either, so I decided to take a completely opposite approach this October and focus on books that can help children deal with fear.
“Brave Every Day” by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton. Camila worries a lot. She has “what if” worries, “I can’t” worries, and “I’m scared” worries. When Camila worries she finds a place to hide. After Camila’s teacher announces that the class will be visiting the aquarium the other students in class are excited, but not Camila, she is worried. What if a shark escapes and bites her? What if an octopus inks her? At the aquarium Camila tries to avoid anything scary but eventually feels overwhelmed and looks for a hiding place. As she burrows into a spot she discovers one of her classmates already there, also feeling scared. After they talk about their fears, Camila’s classmate says it might help if they go around the aquarium together. She is still scared but also wants to support her friend, so she agrees to try. After exploring and enjoying the aquarium together, Camila understands that even when she is scared, simply trying is an act of bravery. The soft color palate of the illustrations in this picture book reflect the tender emotions the children feel.
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“The Critter Club: Marion’s Got the Butterflies” by Callie Barkley, illustrated by Tracy Bishop. Marion loves butterflies and all bugs. But her sister, Gabby, is afraid of them. Marion just can’t understand Gabby’s fear and gets really frustrated with Gabby when she screams any time a bug gets near. When Marion discovers she has a fear of her own it helps her better understand her sister. Marion then takes a different approach and starts explaining to Gabby how interesting bugs are, with all of their unique characteristics. Gabby comes to understand bugs, starts to be less afraid, and joins her sister in a volunteer event centered on butterflies. This beginning chapter book is a good fit for children in early elementary who are reading independently or as a family read aloud.
“I Feel Safe” by David McPhail. A young child is startled awake by a thunderstorm and is immediately scared. But there are many things that make the child feel safe again: comforting hugs from their mother when they cry out, reassuring words from their father as they watch the faraway lightning, and the candles brought by their grandmother whose light pushes back the shadows when the electricity goes out. Eventually everyone in the house gathers together to have snacks and sing songs and the child no longer focuses on the storm. As the rain stops and the storm moves on, the child gets tucked back into bed and drifts off to sleep thinking about how safe they feel. McPhail is the author–illustrator of this picture book and his artwork convey the varied emotions of the child, from fear to happiness, beautifully.
“Pig and Horse and the Something Scary” by Zoey Abbott. Pig can’t stop thinking about something that is scaring her. She has tried to just ignore the scary thought, but that’s not working. Her friend Horse suggests some of their favorite activities to try to make the scary thought go away. They go for a bike ride, go swimming, and try on silly hats to try to make Pig laugh, but none of it works. Finally, Horse suggests they invite the scary thought to tea so Pig can just let it out. Pig warns that Horse may not be able to handle it. When Pig lets out her scary thought at tea time Horse is scared at first, but then they sing a song and feed the scary thought cake and it becomes smaller and smaller. Pig realizes that letting out her scary thoughts helps her make them less scary. Author–illustrator Abbott turns fears, which are hard to envision, into dark swoops and swirls, an age-appropriate and relatable representation for the preschool audience this book is intended for.
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