The Fun Book of Scary Stuff

May 25, 2015
Green-faced witches, forest trolls, and a shark make appearances in this frank assessment of scary things, conducted by a child, a bull terrier, and a pug. “Dad says I should make a list of everything that frightens me. He says it will help me be brave,” says the child. “Your dad is weird,” the bull terrier replies. As the dogs and child carry on a voice-balloon discussion, monsters materialize along the walls of the child’s room; airy white backgrounds keep the spaces reassuringly well-lit. The pug takes a pragmatic view (“What’s so bad about ghosts?”), and the bull terrier acts tough (“You keep being scared of stuff that probably doesn’t exist”). When it comes to “stuff that definitely exists,” like a bullying cousin and bigger dogs, the terrier and pug are supportive; when they all step into a dark closet, even the bull terrier quakes until the child turns on the light. United, the three acknowledge their anxieties and defeat the creepy. With humor and logic in their arsenal, Jenkins (A Fine Dessert) and Yum (The Twins’ Little Sister) demystify fear in this encouraging show-and-tell. Ages 3–6.

Starred review from August 1, 2015
With the help of his two dogs, a boy attempts to tackle his fears-both imagined and real. Opening the book is a list of four scary things: monsters, ghosts, witches, and trolls. At first the boy doesn't want to reveal them to his dogs, a pug and a bull terrier. "Can't tell you. It's too much terror." But the bull terrier persists, and the two discuss each creature's scariness quotient. This hilarious back-and-forth conversation occurs in dialogue bubbles as the quizzical pug looks on. The boy then turns to scary "stuff that definitely exists," such as his nasty cousin, the bossy crossing guard, big growling dogs, and swimming pools that might have sharks in them. The terrier breezily brushes away each fear until the boy mentions the dark. "Okay," says the terrier. "Now that's a little scary." As the boy says, "Nameless evil could be lurking" there. The page turn reveals the boy and both dogs on a pitch-black spread with only eyeballs and dialogue to convey the heightened fear they are experiencing. The boy's solution is obvious but feels absolutely perfect given the scenario. Readers and their grown-ups will howl with laughter at the dry humor and the detailed illustrations that capture every eye roll and skeptical sideways glance. Jenkins and Yum perfectly portray the anxiety and false bravado of this delightful cast of characters who ultimately find fun in the scary stuff. (Picture book. 4-8)

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Starred review from September 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-A mop top child makes a list of everything that frightens him and shares it with his two dogs. The usual nebulous suspects such as monsters, ghosts, and witches are included, along with more specific terrors such as a nasty cousin who has a penchant for putting ice cubes down the boy's pants, and a bossy crossing guard. The comical back-and-forth banter between the blustery bull terrier ("When did you see trolls?") and the apprehensive little boy ("Um. Never.") is presented in speech bubbles, with the scrappy pug also chiming in. The terrier pokes holes in all of the itemized fears, until "the dark" is mentioned, prompting the pooch to concede, "Okay. Now that's a little scary." When all the lights go out, the trio band together in support and finds a solution. In Yum's wispy, pencil and watercolor illustrations, emotions are clearly conveyed, from closed-eyed bravado to nail-biting dread. VERDICT A not-so-scary look at talking about and tackling fears together.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

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