Courage: A Book for Anyone Leaping into Something New – A Heartfelt Picture Book About Bravery and Heroes for Kids

by Bernard Waber

What is courage? Certainly it takes courage for a firefighter to rescue someone trapped in a burning building, but there are many other kinds of courage too. Everyday kinds that normal, ordinary people exhibit all the time, like “being the first to make up after an argument,” or “going to bed without a nightlight.” Bernard Waber explores the many varied kinds of courage and celebrates the moments, big and small, that bring out the hero in each of us.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Inspirational, Nonfiction, Realistic Fiction, School, Growth Mindset

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2002

About the author

Bernard Waber was the youngest in a creative family. At age 8, he ushered in a movie theater after school, so he often saw only the last ten minutes of a movie. He made a game of inventing beginnings and middles. When he returned from a tour of duty in World War II, he entered the Philadelphia College of Art. With a diploma and a new wife, he traveled to New York City, where he began working for the Condé Nast magazines as an illustrator. Reading books to his three children inspired him to apply his pen and ink and watercolor style to his own picture books. His first book, Lorenzo, was built in 1961. Today, his characters are some of the most beloved in the library. He and his wife, Ethel, live on Long Island.

Reviews

[Shelley Diamond · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book's concept is to show different kinds of courage. The problem is that many of the examples do not demonstrate courage at all.

For instance, according to the author, courage is: "remembering a silly joke and trying not to giggle", "deliberately stepping on sidewalk cracks", "arriving too early at a birthday party", "deciding to get your hair cut", "having two candy bars and saving one for tomorrow", "a scenic car trip and being stuck in the middle seat"... There's even a dog allegedly having the courage to eat his own dog food. I suspect that most people would not use the word "courage" to describe those situations.

I think children would be very confused by those kinds of examples. It confused me as an adult. I don't know if the author is unclear on the concept of courage or what he was thinking. There are so many other great examples of everyday courage that could have been used.

If I was reading this book to a child, I would ask the child to come up with better examples, and the child probably could do it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could be a good book to start conversations about courage and what that means to each one in a classroom, including the teacher. Speaking from different viewpoints, human and animal, Waber's story is a succession of kinds of courage, some in the mind, some physical, and some in the heart. The illustrations are cartoon-like, small pictures by each sentence. For instance, there is a couple of boys, with one tapping the shoulder of another. The caption is "Courage is being the first to make up after an argument." Another example is a dark drawing, with only alarming looking eyes showing: "Courage is going to be without a nightlight." This is not for the very young. I'm not sure they would understand it. Perhaps middle grades only would enjoy it, and perhaps they could create their own illustrated picture of what courage means to them?

[Rita Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great message for all!

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives simple examples of courage that is inspirational for children, somewhat like Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons. It has a bit of humor as well, as the author even gives examples of a dog's courage.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courage by Bernard Waber. BOARD BOOK. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002.
$18. 9780618238552

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

The opening pages of Courage begin with these simple words: “There are many kinds of courage. Awesome kinds. And everyday kinds.” Waber explores the various types of everyday situations that require courage and then lovingly brings them to life in this board book. Whether riding a bike without training wheels or going to bed without a nightlight, children face courage strengthening events on a daily basis. The most important aspect of courage is found on the final page: “Courage is what we give to each other.”

In this over sized board book children will delight in reading and discussing the emotions surrounding courageous moments in life. This book will create a perfect springboard for parents to discuss with little ones the drive and determination it takes to face fears and exhibit courage in all situations. The illustrations are soft and subtle.

Reviewer: SL
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book to pair with Deborah Underwood's THE QUIET BOOK and THE LOUD BOOK as this book starts exactly the same way as those two books with "There are many kinds of courage."

I thought this book did get a little tedious after a while. It probably could have been 5 pages shorter.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book sounds better than the execution of it. Or maybe I have just tired of the purposefully inspirational genre.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good book for both younger kids and older kids...however, I think I enjoyed it more than my son!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a Bernard Waber fan since I was a child. I have distinct memories of reading Ira Sleeps Over, and Lyle the Crocodile still makes me laugh. Somehow, I missed his Courage until just a few years ago, and I'm here to tell you that it's a delightful addition to our July Family Focus Traits booklist, "Books Featuring Courageous Role Models." Read on to see what makes Waber's Courage one worth reading!
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Courage is an ode to courage of all kinds. Everyday courage, awesome courage, adult courage, child courage, and even canine courage fill this poignant, yet light-hearted book to inspire readers of all kinds to dig deep and recognize the courage they already have... And maybe find ways to develop new courage!
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Waber opens with the statement that "there are many kinds of courage." We see an ice skater flying through the air, followed by acrobats soaring and swinging. But then, we see a young boy conquering his nerves on the diving board and a girl riding her bike for the first time without training wheels. Waber includes the big sister protecting her little brother, the dog investigating weird nighttime noises, and the firefighters battling a large blaze, and so much more. As is written on the inside flap of the cover, "courage is courage -- whatever kind." Thank you, Bernard Waber, for this wonderful reminder of the courage that we all have inside!
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While our 4.5-year-old enjoys flipping through this on her own and perusing the illustrations, Courage makes less of an oft-requested read-aloud book and is instead more of a book selected specifically to spark conversations about courage. Readers can undoubtedly use Courage to reflect upon times they've shown courage, areas that are natural for them to be courageous, and scenarios in which they'd have to dig extremely deep to find the tiniest bit of courage.

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courage is something we do everyday. Sometimes we do it without thinking about it and sometimes we have to think about it a lot. Courage is what makes us brave and helps us to be ourselves! Bernard's book "Courage" empowers its young readers to be brave and to do courageous things. It also acknowledges the courageous things they do on a daily basis that maybe they didn't see as being courageous; like eating your vegetables before making a face!

This is a great book that will build kids up, because sometimes, it takes courage to be a kid! I would recommend that this book be in any classroom. It would be a great book for large or small group discussions about other ideas that the students have about what being courageous means to them. They could then be inspired to do one courageous act a day and keep a journal of it throughout the week, and then share out again at the end of the week.

[Ryan Reitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author: Waber, B. (2002). Courage. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Category: Early concept informational book

This easy-to-read informational book introduces the idea of courage to its readers. What is courage? Are there different types of courage? Waber believes that there is as he describes courage through various examples. These include diving off of a diving board, making up in an argument, going to sleep in the dark and standing up for your siblings. The author will have readers feeling courageous after reading this book as they discover that courage is not only for helping individuals, but it is for sharing with individuals too.

[Jasmin Dunston]

“Courage” is a book that teaches children all about what it means to be courageous. It covers small feats, like sleeping without a night light, to the large, personal feats like holding on to your dreams. The author uses various types of characters to inform their audience; such as dogs, people, and plants. I really enjoyed this book because all the examples of courage that were used were relatable to the target audience. The illustrator appears to have created the pictures using ink and watercolors and they are a great addition to the text making the story more relatable. This text is an informational, early concept picture book.

[Debbie Hoskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend, a children's book illustrator, gave me this book at the rosary service for my husband.
She said she loved the book. I still have it in the living room because I like the cover and it's comforting.
I've read the book several times. It's a well done picture book, by the author and illustrator of Lyle the Crocodile. It wasn't until 2 weeks after my husband died that somebody told me that grieving takes courage. I had to have somebody to tell me this in order to realize what a perfect book this was for me.

[Leighbee]

Sweet, but some of the examples don't really work. Like, quite a few count as examples of self-control rather than courage. I guess you could argue that self-control requires courage, but they're not really the same thing. And then there's ones like "Courage is arriving much too early for a birthday party." Whut lol? I call that an inconvenience.

The closing was touching though: "Courage is sometimes having to say goodbye. Courage is what we give to each other," the last line accompanied by a cute, poignant image of a young boy sleeping with his dog curled against him.

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

We all need a little more courage in our lives. This book beautifully illustrates the different facets of courage.

**Talking points - which situations in this book would be hard for you? What situations in your life used to be hard and take great courage to do, but now you love doing? Who has encouraged you when you needed courage to do something? Do you think of yourself as a brave person, why or why not? Who do you think are some of the most courageous people out there?

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books that talk about big issues for kids. I had purchased this book for my kids yoga classes and had hoped it would explain courage better. All the examples the author offers were helpful, but I found it was a little too vague for young kids. I had to do a fair amount of explaining. Glad I have it, but feel it’s a tiny bit lacking.

[Cat]

This book is all about bravery and how there are many kinds of courage. There is a boy who wants to jump off the high dive but is nervous to do so. This book highlights many ways people can have courage. Because of this, this book could resonate with children and even help them get over or overcome their own fears.

[Sarah Cole]

This title is an informational, early concept book about courage. Full of colorful and animated illustrations, this book perfectly defines what courage really is. Perfect for the youngest of learners.

[Anna Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book address the question what courage is. It says the courage can be a simple as going bed without a light, or a big as a fireman saving someone's life. Throughout the day we can show big and small acts of courage.

I thought this book was alright. It wasn’t my favorite book, but it had a good message behind it.

I would use this in a classroom to encourage the kids to have courage. To describe there is all different ways to have courage.

[Kalynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great addition to a growth mindset collection. There are all types of courage in action, not just the big types of courage that grab our attention, but even the smallest, daily acts, especially overtime, or even in the moment, are both ripples for ourself and others.

[Amy Balaich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture book - cute message that courage comes in many shapes and sizes (even something as simple as getting out of bed!). Would be fun to have students do a writing activity where they could come up with their own "Courage is..." sentence and illustrate it.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this book and it took me a minute to figure out why. Besides being a really, really long list; I think courage is overcoming fear. None of these examples, except for the one on the cover, illustrate that trepidation, it's only implied. I don't like 'implied' in my kids books.

[Lauren Kester · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book might be good for kids who tend to be more fearful. Not a fan of the artwork style. It's nice there are plenty of examples of when you might need courage, in situations that seem big and small.

[Amanda Vail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple yet profound book about courage and how being courageous is simpler than we may think. This book can be used to teach children that they have courageous moments in their every day lives, reinforcing the idea that they can do hard things.

[Claire Sparrowgrove · Rating 4 out of 5]

The overall message of the book is there but I feel as if some of the things they talk about are not necessarily courage. If you are trying to teach about having courage to your kids or students, this book starts the conversations to it but not sure its the exact way to teach them what courage is.

[Emma Rewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

From an adult’s perspective, this book was adorable and perfect. From my second grader’s perspective, it was a little too cerebral. I like the idea of turning an abstract noun concrete, but the metaphors also have to be attainable for a child’s brain.

[Anne with Violets · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did the cover, which intuitively evokes ‘courage,’ set my expectations too high? I was a bit disappointed. Instead of tackling too many forms of ‘courage,’ wouldn't it have been better to focus on just a few? Some examples of ‘courage’ were hard to grasp, and the overall flow felt disjointed.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courage is the big things and the small things. A must have for the classroom.

[Kylie Matusiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows children that something as simple as sleeping with no nightlight on is courageous. The act of courage seems so unattainable as a child and having this book describe that anything can be seen as courageous levels the playing field between communities. At the end of the day, it is not about what a person has, such as monetary value, it is about the heart and generosity that a person shows. How this book is written it can be for anyone and any demographic. I highly recommend reading this book!

[L Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children's book on types of activities requiring courage...which is everything, and teaching how to step outside of one's box, or comfort zone!!