Library Intern Book Reviews
Publisher
Flying Eye Books
City
New York, New York, United States of America
Date of Publication
2019
ISBN
9781911171539
Date of Review
2019
Disciplines
Library and Information Science | Modern Literature
Keywords
Children's literature, reviews, fear, children's fears, imaginary friends, change
Recommended Citation
Brookins, Cory L., "Review of Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna" (2019). Library Intern Book Reviews. 240.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/240
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Review
This story is about a little girl and a friend she has had all of her life named Fear. Fear and her have been through thick and thin together, good times and bad. Then the little girl and Fear, with her family, move to a new country and suddenly Fear grows, especially when the little girl is at her new school. It seems like the little girl and Fear will be a duo forever, left alone to their art and tasks, until a boy shows the little girl some of his art. In no time at all, they are drawing and painting together. This leads to the little girl joining him at recess where she learns that he has a friend named Fear, too. As the little girl gets to know more of her class, she learns that in fact, everyone has a friend named Fear that they take with them everywhere. She’s not alone or crazy for having this friend! The story ends with all of the children playing together at recess.
The artwork is delightful. It finds structure in a simple art style and color palette that lends itself beautifully to the bigger theme of the work. The way that fear is presented is terrific; fear is not a goblin or a beast, howling and grappling. Fear is protective, soft, and cuddly. Fear always wants to do what the little girl wants to do. It’s very true to life. Fear is also not displayed as something to be ashamed of or something to hide. It is something to talk about, something to be comfortable and make friends with. It’s a great book for children and adults alike to remind us of the unity that can be found in our similar vulnerabilities.
Highly Recommend
Cory Brookins, Centennial Library Intern, Cedarville University