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Shelly is an energetic child who loves to play outside with her favorite red ball. She would skip breakfast to play if her parents were not there to remind her. One morning, as she is racing through the kitchen to go outside, she drops her ball, and it bounces through an open door and down into the dark basement. Shelly tries to descend the steps to retrieve her ball. She tells herself she isn’t afraid of the dark and what might be lurking down there, but her fear is too strong, and she runs to the living room and cries. Her father finds out what is wrong and comes up with an idea. They make superhero outfits and go after the ball together. With her father’s help, Shelly is able to work up the courage to rescue her ball for another day of play.
Raya’s book follows in a long line of picture books dealing with children's fears. Two standouts that address similar topics, fear of the dark or the creatures that could be lurking just on the edge of a child’s safety zone, come to mind. For instance, The Dark by Lemony Snicket also has a child afraid of the dark who lives in the basement. Additionally, Mercer Mayer’s There’s An Alligator Under My Bed explores a child’s imaginary creature that is lurking in the unknown. All three stories seek to empower children to overcome their fears. In Shelly’s case, her father is there to give her the necessary tools to deal with her challenge.
Another aspect of Raya’s story is Shelly’s repetition of the phrase, “I’m not afraid.” It is a bit of a mantra for Shelly as she attempts to inspire herself. In a related manner, Watty Piper’s classic tale, The Little Engine That Could, has its protagonist repeating, “I think I can.” All these stories confront difficulties and focus on triumph over them. In each case, the authors write with the children in mind and offer solutions that are available at the child’s level.
Raya’s book is an easy one to read to children in a story time setting. The illustrations are colorful and well-done and enhance the story’s narrative. The tale’s pacing and theme are simple to follow, and children will be able to empathize with the heroine and her plight. After reading, the instructor could certainly use this as a discussion by asking the children what they do when they are afraid. There are a few grammatical errors (verb tense is one example), which the children possibly won’t recognize but will likely stand out to adults. Still, with its engaging artwork and easily understood structure, this book would be an easy choice to pull off the shelf for children dealing with their fear of the dark. It is not difficult to see this book finding a place on the shelf beside the aforementioned books, in a preschool or lower-elementary library, or in the homes of parents with small children who may have fears of their own to conquer.