A Little Courage

PreS-Gr 1–A tiny person lives in a regular human-sized world. Exploring houseplants, rolling on a tube of toilet paper, and swimming in a glass of water are among her daily activities. One day she discovers that she is being followed by a dark and scary shadow. At first she hides, but she knows she cannot hide forever. She arms herself with a thimble on her head and brandishes a push pin as a sword to investigate the shadow. She confronts it; it purrs back at her. She and the cat become best friends, adventuring around the house together. Pencil and charcoal drawings, accented with a select few monochrome colors, create a feeling of nostalgia for vintage picture books. One concise sentence per two-page spread immerses readers in the big world theme and maintains a good storytelling pace. Children may sympathize with being small in a world where everything is large, potentially scary, but also full of adventure. The overarching theme of bravely confronting your fears is a good reminder for all ages.