Can't Scare Me!
At first glance, this feels like a familiar cautionary tale in which the small boy who fears nothing will learn a lesson in humility. Unafraid of lions or many-headed giants, this boy is certainly a “willful, thrillful child” who makes the adults in his life despair. But what does at last scare him turns this into a celebration of children’s unfettered curiosity and daring. Bryan’s lyrical poetry might be best read out loud: “The giant massacred the song; the scared boy’s ears were ringing. / He hoped he’d never hear again, such awful off-key singing.” The buoyant watercolors, bordered in a stained-glass design, complement the musicality of the text, mitigating any sense of fear—for example, Giant Three Heads guffaws through wide, goofy grins. In the end, this mischievous boy outsmarts all the demons and runs home and into the arms of his loving grandma. He changes his song to assure her that his escapades have taught him about fear, and he promises to be good from now on. Or for at least a little while. Grades K-3. --Amina Chaudhri