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Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Me and My Fear, by Francesca Sanna. Flying Eye Books, Penguin Random House. 2018. $23.95 ages 5 and up

"And when I have to go
to school, Fear doesn't
want me to go. Fear hates
my new school. When the
teacher says my name wrong,
she grows angry ...
... even though I know it
was an accident.
At break time, Fear keeps
me all to herself."

The little girl who narrates the story has always kept her Fear secret. Fear has been a tiny friend for as long as she can remember. They have spent their time exploring and facing threats together. The move to a new home in another country allows that fear to grow. In fact, Fear grows and becomes a hindrance to new experiences.

" I want to go outside and discover
my new neighborhood ...

... but Fear won't move."

School is the same. Fear holds her apart from her classmates whose language she does not understand. Even at home, Fear feeds itself and causes sleep disruptions. It results in isolation for the new girl and misunderstandings at school. When a classmate offers friendship, Fear subsides and the two begin to spend time together. A noisy dog shows the girl she is not alone in her Fear. The boy has his own small companion. Funny how much alike kids are even when they are not.

"Fear is getting smaller each day.
And school is not so difficult anymore."

Francesca Sanna's depiction of Fear shows that it is always with each and every one of us. It begins as a small, nondescript white blob and grows as the same image with the insecurities the child feels. With friendship, empathy, and time it grows less, joy is increasingly evident in the art. Knowing that others feel the same is empowering.

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