Review by Booklist Review
Three brief vignettes explore the concept of bravery. In "Under Covers," a young boy becomes frightened during a thunderstorm and seeks comfort from his parents, until he realizes his baby sister needs his reassurance more. A young, brown-skinned girl feels anxious on her first day of school in "Nervous Belly," but later she finds herself enjoying the activities and making a new friend. And in "Got the Jitters," a young boy is terrified of an inoculation until a male nurse helps him to visualize a distractingly pleasant activity during the injection. Clark's rhyming couplets get right to the point, honestly portraying responses to these situations ("No shot for me! / It'll sting like a bee! / Scream and hit / And throw a fit"). Östberg's digital art uses distinct color palettes for each story, and his comics-style art exhibits both racial and gender diversity. Particularly apt are depictions of stylized emotions, such as the orange and yellow waves emanating from the boy during his doctor's office tantrum. Useful and reassuring without becoming didactic.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Striking, stylish spreads by debut illustrator Östberg supply heft and drama for three stories in simplistic rhyming couplets by Clark (You Be Daddy). In the first, a Black child in space pajamas dashes to their parents' room when a thunderstorm approaches, then changes tacks when a younger sister cries: "Tearful sob/ turn the knob.// Baby sis/ Hug and kiss." Östberg drafts with silkscreen-like contours in nighttime blues and lavenders splashed with a bright pink-orange. In the second tale, a Black child who's nervous about the first day at school ("Nervous belly,/ Toast with jelly") finds fun and makes a new friend: "Time for art: / Decorate hearts.// One for me/ And one for Bree!" In the third, a white child melts down at the doctor's when it's time for a shot ("Scream and hit/ And throw a fit") until the nurse demonstrates how to use mental imagery to sail through an injection. In straightforward language and saturated, unlined digital art, each story offers an object lesson on the way that occupying a mind with other concerns can drive fear away. Ages 3--5. (Aug.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fear and anxiety are difficult, overwhelming emotions for children. In order to help them grapple with such big feelings, this book focuses on bravery, not fear, and supports a growth mindset. This gentle, quiet book presents three stories about times when young children are given opportunities to be brave: "Under the Covers" (about a thunderstorm), "Nervous Belly" (the first day of school), and "Got the Jitters" (a well-child visit to the doctor). In each story, a child protagonist faces a triggering situation and must decide how to handle their feelings. In the first story, a child presenting as Black makes the brave choice to check on and comfort a baby sister instead of going to their parents' room during a thunderstorm, an act that is beneficial to both of them. In "Got the Jitters," a kid with tan skin and straight, brown hair is terrified of receiving a shot. A nurse counsels his patient to "use your brain / to ease the pain!" and the reluctant patient imagines riding a bike. Once relaxed, the child receives the shot and gets to pick a sticker to recognize the feat. These and the other messages about bravery are relayed authentically and accessibly. The characters exemplify ways that children can draw on their own inner resources and effort to meet a challenge. The comforting, full-bleed illustrations are composed in warm colors that sync perfectly with the story, which is conveyed in rhyming couplets. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An insightful and sensitive introduction to what it means to be brave. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
