Being Courageous

Children's Literature - Carlee Hallman

Courage is defined with words and ten situations as examples. "Being courageous means facing danger, struggles, or scary situations without fear." A few hand-lettered lines per spread explain the circumstance with heavier print for the conclusion. "Josie is scared to play the piano in front of others. She practices every day and plays her best at the recital. Josie is being courageous." The picture shows Josie playing the piano for an audience. Two mice dance on the piano. Some other situations are: inviting a new student to sit with you at lunch, telling the teacher you broke her vase, asking the teacher for help with homework, riding a bicycle, standing up for someone being made fun of, saying you are sorry, and deciding not to be afraid of thunder. The bright acrylic drawings are outlined in black. This is one of the "Way to Be!" series. An index, a list of books for further reading, and a FactHound website are included. Both the word definition and situations seem to me to be ambiguous. What is a "scary situation" without fear? Can one just decide not to be afraid? My dictionary's definition of courage is: "the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult, or painful, instead of withdrawing from it." The book "Being Brave" in this series covers the subject well enough. Reviewer: Carlee Hallman