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Summary
Summary
There are a lot of things to be afraid of in this world: spiders, the dark, being alone. In this simple, beautifully-crafted picture book, acclaimed author/illustrator Laura Vaccaro Seeger shows that what seems scary at first, can become magical. It all depends on perspective. Using die-cuts, learn that a scary spider can actually produce an intricate and gorgeous web and that sometimes the dark can transform into a magical night sky. You'll be surprised, awed, and inspired by this clever book.
This title has Common Core connections.
Author Notes
Laura Vaccaro Seeger is a New York Times best-selling author and illustrator. Laura is also a 2-time Caldecott Honor Award winner as well as a winner of the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Best Picture Book, and a 2-time winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award. She is also the recipient of the Empire State Award for Body of Work and Contribution to Children's Literature.
Laura's paintings have been exhibited in many museums and galleries including the Art Institute of Chicago and the New York Public Library.
Laura earned her BFA degree at the School of Fine Art and Design at the State University of New York at Purchase. She moved to Manhattan to begin a career as an animator, artist, designer, and editor in the network television business. She created show openings and special segments for NBC and ABC for many years and won an Emmy Award for an NBC Special opening animation.
Laura is the author of the Dog and Bear Series, First the Egg, Green, I Had a Rooster, Lemons are Not Red, One Boy, The Hidden Alphabet, Walter was Worried, and What If?
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (6)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Common fears are named and put to rest in Seeger's (Green) visually dramatic picture book. A girl wears an open-mouthed expression of shock in the opening spread, watching a spider dangle from her ceiling. "I used to be afraid of spiders," she reports, continuing with a decisive "but not anymore." The spider is a die-cut opening to the next spread, where the girl observes the spider building a web, an array of sticky, stuttering lines that appear drawn with white glue. Repeating this pattern of stating and recontextualizing conquered fears, Seeger shifts the sources of anxiety from manageable things, like shadows and "making a mistake," to the discomfort brought by life changes. Four spreads address "being alone": a rectangular cutout becomes the window of a bus taking the girl's friend away to camp. The girl hangs her head until the "but not anymore" page pictures her contentedly reading beneath a tree. Seeger uses striking acrylic hues, chunky shapes, and a resolute voice to suggest that fears (even those involving big brothers) can be overcome. Despite its small dimensions, this book suggests big determination. Ages 3-7. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Seeger uses rich color and intriguing die-cuts in a picture book that will resonate emotionally for many children. The young narrator starts by talking about something many people are afraid of: I used to be afraid of SPIDERS. A double-page spread depicts the girl looking horrified at a large spider dangling from the ceiling. With the turn of the pagewhich employs a die-cut in the shape of a spiderthe spider shows up against a large, beautifully woven web, and the girl says, But not anymore. A scary-looking shadow becomes (page turn) a pair of hands forming a heart, while fear of the dark is conquered by gazing at the night sky with a companionable dog. Then Seeger moves on to tackle less concrete but still very real fears, such as change and being alone, as the visual narrative reflects the familys household move. Each die-cut works effectively to transform something-to-fear into something-not-so-scary; one especially nifty example is being afraid of making a mistake, with the letter S written backwards at first and then, on the page turn, after some practice, showing up in the right direction. Seeger also leaves room for a child to continue to find something scary (big brother in a monster mask) but also to be the one who is scary (as the girl dons the mask herself and lies in wait). The books thick, glossy pages offer enticing colors but also simple images with open spaces; it is sized just right for children to hold and read on their own. susan dove lempke (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In her classic, acclaimed collage style, Seeger follows a little girl as she describes how she got over a variety of fears. Although Seeger includes common circumstances, such as spiders, shadows, and the dark, she also incorporates other lesser-addressed but highly pertinent childhood qualms, such as making mistakes, facing big changes, and being alone. Gently ominous two-page spreads are coupled with scenes presenting cheerful resolutions to the little girl's problems. After showing the girl startled by a spider dangling from a thread of silk behind a door, Seeger shows the girl admiring a beautiful orb web. When the girl feels lonely after her friend goes to summer camp, the page turn reveals the girl enjoying a stack of books by herself. Amid the acrylic paint and collage are cleverly placed cutouts, which add further visual appeal. Closing on a courageous (and humorous) note, this is not only a great story of growth but a helpful tool to start discussions about fear and bravery with young children.--Lock, Anita Copyright 2016 Booklist
New York Review of Books Review
IN MY CHILDHOOD HOME, the basement was terrifying. Sure, this was in part because a previous resident had killed herself there. But in larger part it was scary because my father enjoyed sending me downstairs to get firewood, and then yelling, "Careful of the ghost!" and slamming the door shut. And then cackling. He had a strange sense of humor. When I had a child of my own, and she cried with separation anxiety, he cooed to her, "Mommy has gone to France, and she isn't coming back." You may say, "This is not good parenting, Marjorie!" And yes, members of my family have turned out kind of offbeat. But I'd argue that joking about fears and exposing them to light are great ways to diminish their power. Four new picture books prove this point, just in time for the monster- and inevitable Kim Davis-costumed Halloween season. Let's start with the complex and quirky "Leo: A Ghost Story." Leo is a little ghost boy who lives alone in an empty old-fashioned house. When a new family moves in, he tries to welcome them with mint tea and honey toast, but they see only a floating tray and freak out. Leo, knowing he's unwanted, moves out and hits the big city, which has become bigger and scarier than when he was alive. Again, no one can see him ... except for a little girl named Jane. She thinks he's an imaginary friend, and he's afraid to tell her he's a ghost. The two play games and become besties, and Leo summons the courage to tell Jane he's not imaginary. Her reaction is even better than Leo could have hoped for. Christian Robinson, the book's illustrator, is one of the most exciting children's book artists working today. (He also did the art for the spectacular "Josephine," a picture-book bio of Josephine Baker.) I love the pal-ette of "Leo" : black, white, gray and various shades of moody blue, in a mix of acrylic paint and chunky construction-paper collage. Leo is a simple white ghostly outline with Brylcreemed-looking hair and a bow tie. The living people are done in varying blue tones. Jane is sapphire-skinned but reads African-American to me, with her braided or twisted hair - drawn as cheerful little dots - in a high side ponytail. The look of the book is mod and sparky enough to delight design-loving parents, while the text, by Mac Barnett ("Sam and Dave Dig a Hole"), is wry, evocative and rich. "After dinner Jane returned to her room and gave Leo a sword. They snuck into a cave, slew a dragon, and stole all his loot. When Leo closed his eyes, he could almost see the gold coins and green scales." The story has a light touch, but there's so much depth: a fearful ghost, a take-charge girl, an interracial friendship, and a tale in which fear is integrally and sweetly tied to positive qualities of imagination. Another snazzy book that will appeal to design-savvy parents is "Max the Brave," by Ed Vere ("The Getaway"). Max is an adorable kitten who resents his adorability. People keep tying floppy bows around his neck. Feh. He decides to prove his toughness by chasing a mouse, but unfortunately, he doesn't know what a mouse looks like. Nor does he know what a monster looks like. A wacky mix-up ensues, and Max decides it's O.K. not to be brave all the time. Max is an expressive huge-eyed black ball of kinetic kittenness who pops against each page's bright, differently colored background. Kids will be tickled that they can distinguish a mouse and a monster while Max doesn't, and - spoiler alert - the monster is more funny than scary. "I Used to Be Afraid," by Laura Vaccaro Seeger ("First the Egg"; the "Dog and Bear" books), encourages kids to use logic and reason as tools for managing their apprehensions. The book has a small, square, comforting trim size, perfect for little hands. Using die-cuts, acrylic paint and collage, Seeger depicts a little girl recounting all the things she used to fear: spiders, shadows, the dark, mistakes, change, being alone. After she names each source of anxiety, a turn of the page shows us how she's coped with it. She admires the formerly scary spider's beautifully complex and textured web (which seems to be made of connected dots and dribbles of white glue). She sees that a shadow can actually be the shape of fingers making a Taylor Swift-like heart gesture. Loneliness can be cured with books. You get the idea. A cutout on each spread adds emphasis to the shift in mood or perception when the page is turned, and the ending gently shows that fear can often be laughed away. "The Fun Book of Scary Stuff" delivers on its title. Our fearful narrator reports: "Dad says I should make a list of everything that frightens me. He says it will help me be brave." So the boy does. His terrors are a mix of "stuff that frightens everybody" (monsters, trolls, ghosts, witches) and "stuff that definitely exists," like his cousin Jemima. Who has put ice cubes down his pants. Twice. (I'd be scared too.) In a goofy, cartoony style, the boy's dogs - a bull terrier and a pug, as the title page confirms - chat with him about his fears, their words all appearing in comic-book-like speech bubbles. Sometimes they share his sentiments; sometimes they're a little dismissive. When the boy sees that his pets are really, really afraid of the dark ("Aroooooo! Aroooooo!" "Save me from the dark of nameless evil!"), he realizes he has the power to soothe them by turning on the light: Being able to help others is what makes our hero accept that he's brave. The text, by Emily Jenkins ("A Fine Dessert," "Lemonade in Winter"), is pleasingly sardonic, and the expressive drawings, by Hyewon Yum ("This Is Our House"), will delight dog-lovers. These books reinforce the notion that laughing at fear doesn't mean dismissing it; it means reframing it. A useful skill, no matter what's lurking in the basement. MARJORIE INGALL is a columnist for Tablet. Her memoir, "Mamaleh Knows Best," will be published next year.
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A short but cleverly designed tale about a little girl who overcomes her fears by looking at scary things from another perspective. Illustrated with Seeger's signature acrylic paint collages with die-cuts, each spread alternates between the phrase "I used to be afraid of [the scary thing in question]" and the cutout of the scary object, and the next spread that shows it transformed into something less threatening with the words "but not anymore." Spiders are rendered harmless by the beauty of their intricate webs and spooky shadows by a game of shadow puppets, while loneliness is defeated by reading, and though the little girl is still intimidated by her older brother, in the end they are pictured playing together amicably. Spare but formulaic text and large font make it suitable for both the youngest readers and those learning how to read independently. VERDICT A wonderful story to engender a discussion about being afraid and possibly even inspire its young audience to conquer their own fears.-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Standard Seeger ingredients of careful die-cuts, lush painting, and child-centered text combine in her latest picture book.A striking cover shows a wide-eyed girl, her mouth agape, looking to the right and seeming to dread the book's opening. The title page doesn't reveal what's scared her, increasing readers' anticipation as the girl cowers behind a chair. Subsequent pages relate that she "used to be afraid of" spiders, shadows, and the dark; each fear is then followed by a double-page spread that resolves it with the line "but not anymore" and a picture that uses integral die-cuts to renegotiate the once-scary thing. For example, the scary spider is not-so-scary when the girl gazes in wonder at its web. Other, more abstract fearsof making a mistake, change, and being aloneare then articulated, deepening the emotional resonance of the character's experiences. Concluding spreads show her running from her big brother, who wears a scary mask. In a clever and honest twist, this fear isn't so easily resolved. "I used to be afraid of my big BROTHER / and I STILL AM!" she declares. Seeger saves the best for last, though, with the last page slyly adding "Sometimes" as the girl tries on the mask behind her unsuspecting brother, and then closing endpapers deliver a pleasing coda of sibling play.The ingredients may be standard, but the recipe yields a fresh, new dish that's outstanding in almost every way. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.