Ms. Mancini has hit the mark on understanding another issue little folks face: Fear. With her colorful and whimsical characters she grabs their attention and helps them relate. Children avoid at all costs letting their friends know they are afraid . . . of anything! Possibly being made fun of and their childhood pride can't bear the thought. When you think about it they are afraid of admitting they are afraid!
Susie shark finds herself in this exact same predicament at the Undersea Amusement Park with her friend Rachel octopus. Rachel wants to ride the new roller coaster ride but Susie is afraid. (Even adults can relate to this!) She makes excuses and tries to distract her friend from the idea with carnival games, less scary rides and binging on fair food. When Susie runs out of tactics her friend confronts her and uses the accusation every child dreads hearing: Scaredy-Cat!
Time is up! After making a call to her mom for advice and praying she faces her fear and as with most fears she finds out there was nothing to be afraid of! To add to the fun, there is a Bible symbol to look for throughout the book.
One thread runs through all of this series that I love is: Prayer. Some children are taught to pray before meals, but few are taught approach God with all of their needs. This teaches them to pray about everything but shows them that nothing is too small for the Lord to care about. The book reassures little ones that they are the only ones that are fearful, but best of all it shows them how to face it with prayer. I also liked the example of Susie calling her mom for advice. After conquering her roller-coaster fear, she realizes that with the Lord she has nothing to fear. This is a great lesson for children and adults alike! An exceptional book in every way!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions stated are my own.
