Sheila Rae, the Brave

Sheila Rae was one brave mouse! Unlike her younger sister Louise, she wasn't afraid of the dark, of thunder and lightning, or of big black dogs. She liked to pretend that the trees were monsters that needed to be vanquished, and enjoyed riding her bicycle with no hands, while keeping her eyes closed. But when Sheila Rae announced one day that she was going to walk home from school using a different route, scorning Louise's timidity, she soon discovered that there was something she was afraid of after all. Luckily, Louise was there to lend a hand...

Another of Kevin Henkes' marvelous "Mouse Tales," Sheila Rae, the Brave is an engaging tale of a young mouse who learns that everyone feels fear, at one point or another, and that sometimes, those who seem like "scaredy-cats" on the outside, can draw upon hidden stores of courage. As always, I enjoyed Henkes' spot-on depiction of the childhood experience - as one of three sisters myself, I particularly appreciated that this charming tale concerned two sisters - and found his illustrations adorable. Definitely one I would recommend, especially to young children who are very timid themselves, or who scorn the timid. ( )

Sheila is not afraid of anything. She is brave and has no fears. Sheila gets lost on her way home and her little sister, who Sheila said was not brave like her, finds the way home. Fear is a major thing to young children and this book will explore being afraid and also being brave. ( )

Sheila Rae is brave but she doesn't pay attention to where she is going and gets lost. Her little sister is following her and shows her the way home. ( )

Sheila Rae is a brave mouse. She’s not afraid of the dark, thunder storms, mean classmates, or monsters that hide in closets. One day after school Sheila Rae decides to walk home a new way and calls her little sister, Louise, a scaredy-cat for being afraid. She walks home, stepping on all the cracks, boldly crossing streets, and scarring away mean dogs. Until she realizes that she’s lost. Suddenly she’s very scared and lonely. Luckily, Louise has followed her the whole way and is able to lead her bravely back home, stepping on cracks and crossing streets. Now both Louise and Sheila Rae are brave.

Once again, Henkes uses his signature style of writing and illustrating to address an important issue for kids and parents. The characters in the book learn that it's ok to be scared sometimes and to depend on other people. Kids will identify with the colorfully clothed mice, especially Sheila Rae, who is brimming with personality and spunk, and the loyal, loving Louise.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-101-sheila-rae-brave-by-kevin.h...

This book is about a girl who is very fearless and is willing to try anything and everything. There is nothing in this world that she is afraid of, until one day she walks home from school a different way and gets lost in the forest. She was scared and worried until her sister Louise found her and comforted her. They walked the rest of the way home together and Sheila tells Louise that she is the brave one, and Louise says “No we are brave together.” ( )