Children’s Books about Overcoming Fear

May 11 – Celebrating Monday

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About the Holiday

Mondays! Blah, right? Goodbye to the freedom of the weekend and hello—again—to the pressures and stresses of work or school. Monday may not feel like something to celebrate, but the day can mean a new beginning too, a time to reflect on everything you have accomplished in the past and how you can meet new challenges head on. So with optimism and enthusiasm, let’s celebrate Monday, today and every week!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sending me this book for review!

Find The Sun

By Andy Harkness

Eddie woke up to a rainy Monday. Mondays made him worry, so he went right back to bed, “curled beneath the covers,” and “hugged Rabbit tight.” When he opened his eyes, he found that instead of in his room, he was in the midst of a storm. A little cloud had even “settled softly on his head.” With aplomb Rabbit, now come to life, proposed a journey to find the sun. “Eddie froze” in the face of this choice: to stay or go. But he reached out his hand, and they rose high into the sky, Eddie became afraid, but Rabbit reassured him. “‘We can’t find the sun by staying low,'” he said.

Text and illustration copyright © 2026 by Andy Harkness. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

At last they saw a bit of gold breaking through the clouds. They floated toward it, but a sudden gust of wind rocked them and they fell back to earth. Eddie feared the river waiting to catch them. But the water was calm, and Eddie began to enjoy floating along. The river, however, flowed into a cave. Eddie was afraid of the dark, but Rabbit told him “‘It’s only in the darkest of darks that we shine the brightest.'” And it was true. Inside the cave the stars shimmered and Eddie felt brave enough to lead the way.

Text and illustration copyright © 2026 by Andy Harkness. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

When they emerged from the cave, Eddie and Rabbit were met with a hedge maze. Eddie loved mazes and ran inside without hesitation. The maze meandered and had dead ends, but Eddie ran here and there, joyfully exploring and finding his way. He felt happy and strong and suddenly realized that he’d “found the sun” inside himself. And when he awoke, Eddie knew he “was ready for Monday.”

Text and illustration copyright © 2026 by Andy Harkness. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

For Eddie, it seems, Monday isn’t just a day of the week, it’s become a state of mind. He has worries, is fearful, and practices avoidance. Even as his transformational dream begins, Eddie is enveloped by the storm he feels inside. Andy Harkness understands that many children may experience these emotions, not only about Mondays but when faced with many unfamiliar experiences. Through Rabbit’s guidance, Harkness offers encouragement and wisdom and shows readers that trying new things brings an educated perspective and growing confidence.

Harkness’s gorgeous, multidimensional illustrations are a marvel. Beginning as pencil sketches each element was “sculpted” in virtual reality and given color and textures from photos of actual clay. The result is a brilliant immersive environment that invites readers into Eddie’s bedroom, across a lush rolling landscape, through a magical cave, and into the incredible maze, where each leaf of the hedges is visible. The final spread of the city park on Monday morning is breathtaking in its glorious mottled hues, reflections in a pond, and the image of Eddie striding confidently to meet the day.

Find the Sun is a story readers of all ages will relate to and appreciate and would be a favorite addition to any library or home collection.

Ages 3 – 6

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1547618767

When he wakes on this particular Monday, it’s beginning to rain—a mirror of his emotions. He hopes to escape by going back to sleep.

About the Author-Illustrator

Andy Harkness is the author and illustrator of Wolfboy, which received two starred reviews, and of Bug Zoo. He is an award-winning art director who has worked on Moana, Frozen, and Wreck-it-Ralph, among other movies. After twenty-five years at Disney, he moved to Sony Pictures Animation. He is currently at Skydance Animation, where he is the production designer on an upcoming project. He lives in California with his family. You can follow him on Instagram @andyharkness.

Celebrating Monday Activity

Follow the Sun! Maze

Help the group of kids find the sun so they can follow where it leads!

Follow the Sun! Maze | Follow the Sun! Maze Solution

You can purchase Find the Sun from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

March 4 – It’s National Reading Month

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About the Holiday

National Reading Month was designed to  encourage children and adults to read every day and celebrates the joys and benefits that reading together can bring. Reading with your child can be fun and frivolous, but it can also offer ways for children to share their feelings about serious or poignant topics and begin discussions that can lead to understanding or healing.  As the month progresses, look for books to share for all the aspects of your life. 

I’d like to thank Kokila Books/Penguin Random House for sharing a digital copy of Our Lake with me to review. 

Our Lake

By Angie Kang

 

A young boy follows his older brother up a “long and steep” hill to the tip of a boulder overlooking a glistening lake, where their father, now gone, used to take them swimming. He mimics his brother, who has taken on the mantel of responsibility, in their old traditions—taking off his shirt, stretching. But while his brother approaches the lip of the rock, he hangs back, watching him “press his arms tight to his head and slip neatly into the lake.” The water ripples, and then his brother shoots upward, “triumphant.”

Illustration and text © 2025 by Angie Kang. Courtesy of Kokila/Penguin Random House.

His brother calls for him to jump, but his nerves overtake him and he closes his eyes. “On the insides of my eyelids,” he says, “I see Father.” He recalls their routine, the way his father soared before splashing down, and the sound of his laugh as he beckoned his sons to follow.

“When I open my eyes, he joy is still there, humming in my limbs,” the boy says. He hears his brother call to him again and shakes off his fear. As he nears the water, he sees his father meet him, arms outstretched. His brother cheers as he splashes in. They embrace, both feeling the presence of the father they miss.

Illustration and text © 2025 by Angie Kang. Courtesy of Kokila/Penguin Random House.

Angie Kang’s lyrical storytelling soars on the openhearted voice of her young narrator and the caring guidance of his big brother. The boys’ uplifting memories of their father and their joyful embrace of returning to one of their favorite places are moving and comforting, and ultimately inspire reassurance that the spirit of loved ones lives on within the heart. 

Kang’s gloriously rich gouache, crayon, and colored pencil illustrations illuminate the close relationship between the brothers and, individually, with their father, as exemplified by a red hat the older brother is wearing as the story begins. Later, readers learn—in a symbolic image—that this hat belonged to the boys’ father. Each boy’s facial expressions and stances also carry the story forward. Kang’s saturated paintings also offer metaphorical undertones that resonate with the truth of life’s sometimes difficult climbs as well as the wonders of shaking off fear and diving into it headfirst.

A beautiful and poignant story to help any child affected by grief or loss to find peace and joy again, Our Lake is highly recommended for families and is a must for school and public library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Kokila/Penguin Random House, 2025 | ISBN 978-0593698235

About the Author/Illustrator

Angie Kang is a Chinese American writer and illustrator living in LA. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Narrative, The Believer, and elsewhere, and has been generously supported by MacDowell and other organizations. Angie graduated from the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program with a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and a BA in Literary Arts from Brown University. She enjoys painting places she remembers and places she would like to go. Learn more about Angie’s writing and art at AngieKang.net and @anqiekanq on Instagram.

You can purchase Our Lake at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (to support your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

May 3 – Lumpy Rug Day

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About the Holiday

There are some holidays where even I think, “Oh, no – there will never be a Twitter hashtag for this one,” but lo and behold there is! #LumpyRugDay even came—from someone else who thought the holiday random—with a little montage of pics of actor Nathan Fillion, who only seems to get better looking as the years go by. But I digress…. Today we celebrate the rug, that cushy, plush, underfoot décor that keeps our tootsies warm and comfortable. But as they age rugs and carpets can develop lumps and bulges that compromise the safety and appearance of your home or office. Today—in addition to thinking about favorite celebrities—consider replacing any rugs that may be past their prime…time.

Bug in a Vacuum

By Mélanie Watt

 

A bug enjoying a lazy afternoon takes advantage of an open door and flies into a house. It’s cleaning day and the bug buzzes through the bathroom, through the kitchen (taking a quick hop and skip over the cooling apple pie), across a bedroom, and stops on top of the household globe. Meanwhile someone is vacuuming, unaware of or unconcerned with what lays in the powerful machine’s path.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bug-in-a-vacuum-on-top-of-the-world

Image and text copyright Mélanie Watt. Courtesy of Tundra Books, penguinrandomhouse.ca.

The bug is “on top of the world when it happened. Its entire life changed with the switch of a button.” Suddenly it is sucked past the little bristles and into the dusty interior of the canister. Finding itself here amid the forgotten debris, the bug goes through many stages as it ponders its plight. Stage one is Denial. Surrounded by fluffy fuzz the bug thinks to itself, “This is amazing! Doesn’t get much cozier than this…” But then the quiet and dark makes the bug suspicious. Maybe it’s a surprise party! Or perhaps it’s a dream! The bug pinches itself to wake up, but all that does is hurt.

Stage 2 follows—Bargaining. The bug calls out “Excuse me, you’ve vacuumed the wrong bug!” It even offers a different day to be so inconvenienced: “Can I be vacuumed next Monday instead? Tonight’s bowling night with the dung beetles!” Finally, it promises to turn over a new wing and writes a contract of sorts: “Dear vacuum, IF you set me free, I promise to avoid my favorite hangouts: windowsills, picnics, porta-potties. A new Bug.” When there’s no response to this plea, the bug moves on to…

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bug-in-a-vacuum-bargaining

Image and text copyright Mélanie Watt. Courtesy of Tundra Books, penguinrandomhouse.ca.

Stage 3—Anger. The bug throws a fit: “I WANT OUT NOW!!! NO MORE MR. NICE FLY!!!” It threatens, becomes paranoid, demands attention, and turns the dust bunnies into its own personal army. The sounds from inside the canister are frightening—but no one’s there to hear them.

Stage 4 strikes heavy with—Despair. When the dust, scraps of paper, broken pencil, tack, paperclip, playing card, broken Q-tips, and other waste settles, the bug takes stock. “My life’s a mess,” it realizes. “How will I ever pick up the pieces?” it wonders. It decides: “I’m at the end of my rope. My dreams are crushed. The odds are against me.” The poor bug goes on: “I’ll never see the sky again. I’ll never be extraordinary. I have no future.” At last, though, the bug is ready for…

Stage 5—Acceptance. The bug surrenders itself to its fate and learns to “appreciate what I have.” It goes so far as to say, “I don’t wish to change a thing. Everything will be okay.”

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Image and text copyright Mélanie Watt. Courtesy of Tundra Books, penguinrandomhouse.ca.

It is at this point that the bug feels itself on the move, gliding across the carpet, waiting at the curb, and traveling away at top speed as the vacuum cleaner sits atop the Bull Dog Waste Service truck. The trip takes it up a hill to the city dump, where the vacuum is unceremoniously dropped on a pile and the hose is dislodged. When the machine comes to a rest, the bug sees the most magnificent sight—a way out. The bug flies into the streaming sunlight and on to another adventure.

A sub-plot involving the family’s wiener dog who has lost his beloved stuffed toy to the overzealous vacuum adds suspense to the story, and his thoughts about retrieving his toy inject more comical elements while mirroring the bug’s contemplations.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bug-in-a-vacuum-sad-dog

Image and text copyright Mélanie Watt. Courtesy of Tundra Books, penguinrandomhouse.ca.

Mélanie Watt, with tongue firmly in cheek, takes readers on an emotional roller coaster as an unsuspecting but very lucky bug finds itself engaged in the five stages of grief after it is sucked into a vacuum cleaner. Watt’s text and full-bleed, vintage-style illustrations go hand-in-hand (or wing-in-wing) to tell the bug’s and dog’s stories.

Each stage of the bug’s turmoil is introduced with an image of a product named for the psychological phase and labeled with humorous puns and platitudes. The dated décor, colors, and objects make Bug in a Vacuum visually stunning, and the bug hero is a cutie who readers will empathize with and cheer for. Eagle-eyed readers will also love finding all the items slurped up into the cleaning machine lying on the floor of each page. The first page defining Bug as “an insect” and “an unexpected glitch” and Vacuum as “a cleaning machine” and “a void left by a loss” hints at the fun and thoughtfulness to come.

Bug in a Vacuum would make a great gift and addition to home bookshelves—a welcome pick-me-up for those days when things don’t always go so well.

Ages 4 – 9

Tundra Books, 2015 | ISBN 978-1770496453

You can learn about the many, many books by Mélanie Watt on her website!

To find a fun Bug in a Vacuum activity guide by Tundra Books/Penguin Random House of Canada, click here!

Lumpy Rug Day Activitycelebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-rug-coloring-page

Designer Carpet Coloring Page

 

Many rugs sport fancy, colorful designs to liven up a room. Take your favorite pencils, crayons, or markers and create a run you’d like to have in your room with this printable Designer Carpet Coloring Page!