Fearless by Kelly Canby

Bea and Annie are two girls who are initially polar opposites. Bea Ware was afraid of almost everything, from noises in the house, to things she could see, hear, taste and touch. There is so much that terrifies her and “ties her in knots”.

Bea watches in awe as Annie Venture shows how differently she approaches life, seemingly fearing nothing. She is willing to experience new games, foods, and activities, calmly and bravely. When Bea dares to wonder how she manages to attempt all of these things so fearlessly, Annie provides her with a whole new way of looking at the world.

I’m not fearless,’ laughed Annie,
Í just tell myself to fear less.
Fear less than I did yesterday.
And fear less than I did the day before that.

As Bea ponders this advice, her fears slowly diminish and, overcoming her reluctance to try new things, she becomes willing to face her fears one at a time, experiencing a great deal of joy and relief as she does so.

Canby writes simple stories with strong messages. I love the fact that both Fearless and Timeless are suitable to read to very young children but have messages that are appropriate for readers of all ages. Her simple illustrations, overlaid on a background of flowing word clouds, convey the moods and attitudes of the characters perfectly. Canby includes a scattering of enormous, boldly formatted words, often interlaced in the illustration it describes. A touch of alliteration adds to the joy of the story, as do the endpapers, yet again.

This title could be used by parents in assisting children to address their fears, as well as being a great classroom resource for wellbeing lessons when discussing the ways in which different people manage new things.

Themes: Phobias, Overcoming fear.

Jo Schenkel