Some Things Are Scary

by Florence Parry Heide, Jules Feiffer (Illustrator)

Know someone who’s starting school? Getting a new job? Going to the in-laws’ for the first time? For anyone on the brink of something scary, this gift edition of a hilarious classic is the perfect antidote.You’re skating downhill, but you don’t know how to stop. You’re having your hair cut, and you suddenly realize . . . they’re cutting it too short. There’s no question about some things are scary. And never have common bugaboos been exposed with more comic urgency than in this masterful mix of things horrible and humiliating, monstrous or merely unsettling. Now in a compact edition with a new cover - and a bookplate that lets gift-givers specify the occasion - Florence Parry Heide’s witty text and Jules Feiffer’s over-the-top illustrations will get even the most anxious recipients laughing, while reassuring them (no matter how old they are) that they’re not alone in their fears.From the Hardc

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Emotion, Humor, Halloween

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2000

About the author

"What do I like about writing for children? Everything," says Florence Parry Heide, the award-winning author of more than sixty children’s books, including the classic THE SHRINKING OF TREEHORN, illustrated by Edward Gorey. "I like the connection with children," the author says. "I like the connection with all kinds of book people. And I like the connection with my childhood self, which is the most of me. It is the most welcome and familiar of worlds. There miracles abound--indeed it is magical that something I might think of can be put into words, stories, ideas, and that those words end up in the heads of readers I will never meet."

Florence Parry Heide wrote SOME THINGS ARE SCARY, a humorous look at childhood bugaboos, more than thirty years ago. "I had finished another book and was in the mood to write something else," she says. "I decided to get some kindling from the garage, reached into the kindling box and--good grief!--grabbed something soft and mushy. I fled back to the house, scared to death." A brave return visit to the kindling box revealed the object of terror to be nothing more than a discarded wet sponge, but the thought remained: some things are scary. As she recalls, "What scared me as a child was that I’d never learn how to be a real grownup--and the fact is, I never did find out how it goes."


One thing Florence Parry Heide does have a good handle on is the concept of friendship, in all its humorous manifestations. THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR, a tongue-in-cheek tale cowritten with Sylvia Van Clief in 1967, pokes at the tendency of well-meaning friends to offer advice instead of help, and presents a valuable lesson about what true friendship means. "One of my many (true) sayings is ‘A new friend is around the corner of every single day,’ " the author declares. "Also true: Friendships last. And last."


Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Florence Parry Heide worked in advertising and public relations in New York City before returning to Pittsburgh during World War II. After the war, she and her husband moved to Wisconsin, where they raised five children, two of whom have cowritten critically acclaimed books with their mother. Florence Parry Heide now lives in Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

#62 in my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf.

Nice how the text isn't trying to instruct, just observing that all kinds of things can be scary, especially things that other people, grown-ups and the like, might not remember or consider to be scary. I like Pfeiffer's style, he does a good job illustrating children's picture books. I do wish there were a more diverse cast.

Library book

[Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, through its clever writing and wild illustrations, turns scary things into something kids can both confront and laugh at. I like its final note: Knowing your going to grow up to be a grown-up is scary. It reassures kids that the will indeed grow up, survive their childhood fears and grow. Nice.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this as a "Readers' Theater in the Round" with 5th & 6th grade students. I typed up each sentence in the book, numbering them. The students stood in a circle and read their sentence when I said the corresponding number (1-32). Then we went around the circle again as they made up their own sentence about what was scary. The 5th graders enjoyed it so much they wanted to do it again.

[Johara Almogbel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars because of the last page. I'm going to make it into a poster and hang it on my wall because I really am scared of becoming an adult. I really am.

[Tegan]

That last page is true alright! Being a grown up is scary sometimes!

This was under consideration for a monster themed storytime, but I think it would be better for a differently themed storytime.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

How do these books get printed? This isn't hard stuff. But the construction of this volume gives one the impression know one know what anyone is doing.

This is just pages of weird and odd instances that might scare children. Seems it's more of an effort to create scary instances. Many of these would not be scary if a child was raised one way or another. Scary is subjective. Not a routine.

Page after page after page of pre-supposed fears, with no resolution or reason or satisfactory conclusion. Much like a joke book. But, at least, a joke book is fulfilling.

This is an empty volume and not worth the time or money involved with it.

The only reason I giver it two points is Jules Feiffer's artwork, which does not fit the loopy text. Feiffer really should stay with illustrating politics.

Botttom line: I don't recommend this book. 2 out of ten points.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world is full of scary things. This fun picture book uses humorous illustrations along with a list of scary things that many readers will be able to relate to: stepping on something squishy when you're in your bare feet, being on a swing when someone is pushing you to high, and getting a shot. Since most people can identify with the items on the list, kids will realize that even though things are scary, they are survivable. This could be a great mentor text to help young writers create their own lists of things that are scary, things that are funny, things that are sad, etc.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. It had a nice balance of not so scary situations and more heavy situations. The narrative is not set up from light topics to heavier ones either, they are all mixed together, so you can discuss a heavier one, such as a friend moving away, to a lighter one such as being born as a hippopotamus.

This would be a good book to talk about things that are hard to face and also how to deal with them. The illustrations are fun and the story moves quickly. Sentence structure is short and all end with "is scary" so you can get into a flow reading it.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy is an original 1969 children's book and the illustrator is Robert Osborn. My kids have always liked vintage books and related to them more than today's stuff. This one is a perfect example. The storyline is simply written and the illustrations are actually a tad scary. It's an excellent book to validate your child's fears and talk through them. It's also relatable and fun for adults, who might remember some of these feelings quite well. Great classic book.

[bailee :-) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with the ending of this book. I was hoping there would be some kind of positive take away, but it ended so abruptly, void of a conclusion. It felt like a missed opportunity to share that it's okay to be scared or that some of our fears are irrational or that we need to be brave to face things that are scary. But idk, today's picture books are so different from picture books from the 60s so maybe I'm being too critical.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a troubling, relate-to-able book. There are no happily ever afters here, but lots of emotional validation. It’s easy to be scared by experiences in life as well as the stories we make up in our minds. This book could be used as a conversation starter with children. I like the illustrations. Parental interaction advised.

[Katie Born · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book because I read it as a child. This book is different than most children's books because it does not have a happy ending. I think that this would be hard for young children to understand. While it validates that feeling scared happens to everyone, it doesn't demonstrate ways to help yourself if you are feeling scared which I think is important.

[Jadyn Palosaari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great because it is a funny way to talk about hard and scary things in kids lives. It talks about gross squishy stuff but also if your best friend has a different best friend. I think this book can be great for any elementary level because it hides the serious issues in funny ones so it doesn't get to real but they also find out they are not alone in their feelings. Genre: Traditional Literature Year: 2000

[Dorothy Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's scary and then there's SCARY! A good mix of the real and imaginary that can start
conversations about what really is... Favourite page: "Being with your mother when she can't remember where she parked the car is scary."

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being on a swing when someone is pushing you too high is scary.

Climbing a tree when you don't remember how to get down is scary.

Knowing you're going to grow up to be a grownup is scary.

Excellent illustrations!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, some things are scary. This book brings to light that this is a fact, and it's OK. It's funny, too, if you're open to laughing at yourself for finding some of these same things scary. My kid and I thought it was a fun book.

[Sara Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the scary examples and scary illustrations.

[Lindsey Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used as a mentor text for scary narrative writing

[Solange Guillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Being with your mother when she can’t remember where she irked the car...is scary.”

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this book shares so many things that are scary to children. It makes me want to sit down and have each of my family members write a list of what is scary to them.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a fun book to read as a lead-in to a writing lesson for 1st and 2nd grade.

[Lyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an awesome book! It made me laugh.

[Camille · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a book I'd recommend to already anxious children

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scary still.

[Elisa Bandini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro perfetto per questa mia fase di vita

[Robert Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. The pictures are well done. I believe any young reader would enjoy this 📙 book.

[Jennie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Generalized Anxiety Disorder for Beginners! Yikes. Reading this book...is scary. I needed a Xanax after that one, so I probably wouldn't recommend it for the youngins.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that allows middle-grade readers to appreciate their lives through a new lens: looking back at their childhood, as of yet, and how far they've come. The last page reminder - that adults don't quite have it altogether either - makes this a fun story to share, no matter your age

[KarenMLISt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this aloud to K & 1 as an intro to Halloween season to encourage them that feeling scared/anxious/worried is normal and they're not alone. Things like being with your mom when she can't find her car, or seeing a warning sign but not understanding what it says, or getting a shot, are very relatable for the children. I wish the cover illustration wasn't such a turn off but that may just be my bias (that guy on the cover looks insane!) I felt like I had to explain to the children that the illustrator "exaggerated" some of the pictures - and sometimes pictures "are scary". The illustrations are a mixed bag with some being spot on or even funny while others are just strange (being born a hippo-human, or the giant imagined bird!) What I really liked, however, is that it made the children laugh a good bit - like skating downhill too fast or swinging too high.

[Caitlin Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Some Things are Scary by Florence Parry Heide. This story lists a lot of different situations that are scary like telling a lie or getting scolded. I really liked the repetition of "is scary" throughout the book and I though the illustrations were very cute. I did not like, however, that there did not seem to be much of a conclusion to the book. I expected some sort of reassurance that it is okay to be scared or that everything would be okay, but there was no conclusion. I do not think I would choose to have this book in my classroom. While it may be comforting to know that other people get scared by the same things you do, I really wish there had been a better conclusion to the book.