Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears

Gravett, Emily. 2008. Emily Gravett's Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears.

Everyone's scared of something, right? Well, Little Mouse has a special journal where she records her fears. This "journal" says, "it has been put together by an expert in worrying, who draws on a lifetime's experience of managing her fears through the medium of doodle." This book is an illustration masterpiece. Very clever. Very fun. It just works really well in evoking mood. From the cover to the end papers, to everything in between. You really MUST hold this one in your hands and read it yourself to see how wonderful it is.

Little Mouse's fears range from fear of accidents, sharp knives, birds, cats, dogs, shadows, loud noises, heights, etc. The art is just amazing. Amazingly fun and clever. This book is artistically as good as it gets...in my very humble opinion. There's just much too adore here. The amount of detail and design.

Here is one of the interior spreads:

The text reads, "I'm frightened I may get sucked down the drain or flushed down the toilet."

Here's another of my favorites,

The text reads, "Birds make me feel twitchy." I like how even the feathers are vicious with menacing eyes and pointy teeth.

This is a very smart book. And while Mouse uses simple words and phrases to express her fears, The top corners of each page use the correct terminology for those fears...

Ornithophobia (fear of birds); phagophobia (fear of being eaten).

I loved this one so much. Definitely recommended.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers