Picture Book Friday

I’m Not A Scaredy-Cat: A Prayer For When You Wish You Were Brave, by New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado is delightfully silly story about a little cat who encounters one frightening moment after another – a squeaky rubber duck, a playground slide that seems much too tall, a furry caterpillar, the ticking of clocks, and the patter of rain – to name just he few. But, as the subtitle suggests, each time he feels frightened, worried, or nervous he knows he can rely on a simple child’s prayer to help him feel better.

The large format of the double-page spreads gives illustrator Ng-Benitez plenty of space to play and the simple, but colorful artwork is in keeping with the text.

Childhood fears, while seeming mild to adults, are all too real for children and the incidents depicted in I’m Not A Scaredy Cat feel just right for a child’s perspective.