It's time to shout-out another book birthday! I love doing this and have been reviewing in a little bit of a slump the last weeks on the birthday front. Which is too bad because I love celebrating. So, we'll just have to scream a little bit louder this week as I, finally, have a chance to scream again.
Today's read is part of a collection of reads surrounding Captain Courage. I have not read any of them before this one and have no doubt that this won't be an issue, since there doesn't seem to be a certain order to it anyway. Also, this is a re-release of this book. It appears to have hit the world in 2012 and is coming out fresh and new. I like the new look quite a bit.
Anyway, let's dive in and see what it's about!
CAPTAIN COURAGE AND THE FEAR-SQUISHING SHOES
by Stacey Marshall
Illustrated by Andy Catling
Picture Book
34 pages
ages 6 to 9
Every child in Ms. Berrycastle’s class is excited for the first day of school—every child except Katie. As the newcomer in school, poor Katie feels like she’s swallowed a bowlful of butterflies!
Whether it’s participating in class, presenting at show-and-tell, or joining in lunchtime chats, Katie finds herself shrinking with fear. But everything changes when a remarkable superhero swoops in, equipped with his incredible, fear-squishing shoes!
Through captivating, fun-filled storytelling and whimsical illustrations, Captain Courage and the Fear-Squishing Shoes will enable kids to:
- Look and feel as brave as a superhero in school and beyond
- Attain confident communication skills
- Take a transformative and heartwarming adventure with Katie, discovering how to conquer worries and self-doubt
MY TIDBITS
With a touch of super-powered fun, this read takes on the problem of stepping into new situations and meeting new people.
It's the first day of school, and everyone is excited except for Katie. Her parents just moved into the area, and she's feeling very out of place. Since she's a shy girl, anyway, the entire situation is a little more than she's ready to deal with. As the school day progresses, she'd like to join in with the others but doesn't trust herself. Suddenly, Captain Courage appears in the classroom...and boy, he looks an awful lot like the principal. He sits down next to her and tries to get her to raise her hand, but she might need more than just a little coaxing.
This is a vibrant book. Every illustration holds energy it travels through various moments of the school day. The kids in the classroom are cheerful and ready to participate. There's no hint of maliciousness, and one even offers to help the girl. So, this doesn't tap into any negative directions. Instead, it centers around Katie as she wishes she was brave enough to join in but can't get herself to do it. The hesitancy comes across naturally and is very understandable. Listeners will, in many cases, sympathize with her and wish they were there to help out. It's easy for listeners/readers to follow as the various situations are familiar, too.
Captain Courage is a fun superhero, who holds just a dash of 'really the principal pretending' to add an unique touch and slide in some curiosity. He doesn't burst in with huge superpowers, but takes a realistic approach...while adding superpowers. And that's where the fun comes in because the superpowers might or might not be truly super. The reader/listener is left with this mystery to decide for themselves. This makes the message about bravery sit well, too, since it reflects true solutions and a good dose of fun.
It's recommend for those readers, who are sure of their words but need more practice before diving into middle grade reads. I'd slide this down to the lower end of that age group, since the writing is on the easier side as is the length. It would also work nicely as a read-aloud to slightly younger audiences.
It's a fun read with a nice message.
1 comment:
Nice introspective look at a child's real feelings.
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