Fighting Fear with Picture Books

From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

 
“Basically, your fear is like a mall cop who thinks he’s a Navy SEAL: He hasn’t slept in days, he’s all hopped up on Red Bull, and he’s liable to shoot at his own shadow in an absurd effort to keep everyone “safe.””
— Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear Fear can be a good thing.

Fear stops us from running out in front of cars, diving in unsafe places, and petting rabid dogs.

But it can also be debilitating and prevent us from meeting our potential. 

Fear is the master of the "What Ifs?"

What if I fail

What if they laugh at me

What if I can't impress

Etc.

Getting the balance right - between allowing fear reasonable say yet preventing it from becoming sovereign - is an art that most of us attempt to master throughout our lives. (I've previously written about my own battles with anxiety and poor mental health on this blog. ) My Story Worth Sharing this week addresses this balancing act head-on. It's an excellent resource for anxious children - and for those of you wanting to develop empathy in your kids.

Me and My Fear (Flying Eye Books 2018) is created by a self-confessed ‘very anxious person': Francesca Sanna.

She explores fear from the point of view of the main character (and narrator) - a dark-haired migrant girl trying to adjust to life in a new country. Like fear, the book's message is universal. And since fear is ubiquitous, all children will relate to the narrator's story in some shape or form. 

It's an intriguing picture book in which Sanna cleverly portrays fear as a character - '[a] tiny friend called Fear.'

The narrator's friend is small and dream-like.

White and somewhat amorphous (like a cute, squishy ghost).

Fear accompanies and looks after the girl and - yes - keeps her safe from danger. Which makes Fear a pretty valuable friend to have around - until she starts growing.

 

Together we have explored new things and stuck by each other.


But since we came to this new country, Fear isn't so little anymore.


 


Uh-oh.

Sound familiar, anyone?

  From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

 

As the girl's fear grows 'exponentially, both in size and in stubbornness', she effectively imprisons the girl. Fear tells the girl to be alone and afraid - too afraid to explore outside and make new friends. Fear tells her she doesn't understand anyone - and they don't understand her. (Fear has a way of twisting the truth).

As Fear grows in power, she fills and dominates Sanna's soft, retro-styled illustrations. Fear grows so big that she dwarfs the girl, filling the room from floor to ceiling like a mutant Alice. But look closely - the girl (although overwhelmed) is struggling against her Fear.

 

…but Fear won't move.

 

The girl's Fear becomes all-encompassing.

  From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

 

She doesn't want the girl to go to school - and isolates her from her new classmates (cleverly depicted by Sanna through white space).

Sanna's illustrations serve the text so well.

As BookTrust explains, Sanna 'represents how debilitating fears can become in a way that really hits home and that many readers will be able to relate to.'

The growing sense of loneliness is palpable. Some of the kids are clearly resentful towards the girl - which isolates her further.

 

I feel more and more lonely every day.


Fear says it's because no one likes me.


  From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

 

NO! Not true! Fear has overplayed her hand - she is a liar!

Because observant readers will notice a shy-looking boy quietly hanging about. He wants to show the girl something.

 

Soon we begin to draw and paint together.

 

The girl and the boy make friends by being creative together. Come break time, the girl wants 'to go outside and play with the boy.' But first, she must persuade and wrestle with Fear - convince her to come outside, too. It works - and now Fear is smiling, looking at the boy's drawing. What's more, Fear is getting smaller - until she is small enough to be carried outside on the girl's back.

 

As we run through the playground, suddenly a dog barks at us through the fence.

 

Here's the simple - and clever - twist that speaks volumes of truth.

 

"AARRGH!" the boy screams and hides quickly behind something strange and small.

 

Yep. The boy (like most of us, grown-ups included) has his own 'secret Fear'.

(It's what he drew for the girl - and what made the girl's own Fear smile!)

As Mummy Elephant explains to Patrick in my book, The Great Cheese Robbery 

 

"…[E]veryone's afraid of something - even your big old dad!"

 

And when the girl realises this, she's empowered.

You may have a fear - but you're not alone.

Ensuring your kids understand this fundamental truth (and that there's power in sharing those fears) is vital for everyone's mental health. 

Because our fears don't disappear simply by ignoring them. They go away - or at least, their power is diminished - when we help our kids (and each other!) talk about them and externalise them. As Olivia Field, loneliness lead at the British Red Cross, explains: "Talking to people about your worries, about feeling lonely, or simply just about your day, helps.”

Here's how the narrator of Me and My Fear puts it:

 

Fear is getting smaller each day.


And school is not so difficult anymore.


 

The story's ending feels complete and comforting. Sanna's final illustrations show a school full of kids and their fears - all of which (notes the  Horn Book Review) appear 'small, soft, and smiling.'

Because let's not forget how the story began: Fear can be our friend.

Its presence in our lives is 'not something to be overcome but, rather, understood and embraced.' [Horn Book Review]

  From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

 

Sanna's dedication at the start of the book speaks volumes:

 

To my mum, who would encourage me to draw my fears, and to my dad, who would share some of his fears with me.

 

If for nothing else, Me and My Fear is worth sharing for its cleverly constructed story (told through words and rather splendid pictures). But it's perhaps more valuable to parents and carers as a tool to support your children with. Because at some point along the way, we all encounter Fear.

STORIES WORTH SHARING: Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna

Good to Read because:

It's an excellent starting point for conversations about social, emotional and mental health.' [Booktrust]

It develops your child's empathy for (and understanding of) kids who are new to their school.

It will reassure your child, reminding them that we all get scared - and that there is power in sharing our fears.


GOOD TO READ

Stories about migrants

The Suitcase by Chris Naylor- Ballesteros

King of the Sky by Nicola Davies and Laura Carling


Stories to reassure anxious kids

Can't You Sleep, Little Bear by Martin Waddell and Barbara Firth

A Little Bit Worried by Ciara Gavin and Tim Warnes

The Great Cheese Robbery by Tim Warnes

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson

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  From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

From Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books, 2018) | Illustration © 2018 by Francesca Sanna

‘a wonderful visual representation of…anxiety’

- Luan Stauss, Laurel Bookstore, Oakland, CA

'a heartfelt story exploring fear and anxiety… perfectly balanced, however, by the story's positive outcome...’

- BookTrust Buy UK BUY US* I EARN COMMISSION FROM THESE LINKS #AD/AFFSOURCESBig Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert Me and my Fear (Book Trust) Me and my Fear (Books for Keeps) Me and My Fear (Kirkus Reviews, 11 September 2018) Review of ME and my Fear (Tom Barthelmess, The Horn Book Inc., 2 January 2019)© 2021 BY TIM WARNES(UNLESS OTHERWISE ATTRIBUTED)****USE OF THIRD PARTY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL FALLS UNDER FAIR USE/FAIR DEALING PRACTICE.
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Published on July 03, 2021 01:07
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My Life in Books

Tim Warnes
I have been fortunate enough to inhabit, in one way or another, the world of Children’s Books for nearly 50 years. It’s a world that has brought me solace, joy, excitement, knowledge, friends - and a ...more
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