Susanna Pitzer

Daniel isn't afraid of spiders. He isn't afraid of snakes. He isn't even afraid of thunderstorms. And no matter what his sister says, he's certainly not afraid of dogs -- he just doesn't like them. But there's no avoiding them when he comes home and his mother is babysitting his aunt's dog. Even walking along the streets, whenever he sees a dog nearby he is forced up the light pole until they pass in fear of their slobber, fur, sharp teeth, and barks

This was another book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The main message of this story is to teach children that it's OK to have fears, we just have to face them at some point. One of the reasons why I liked this book is because of the descriptive language. It really made the story come to life. For example, "With one finger, Daniel touched Bandit's shaking back. Her fur was soft." With all this detail in a single sentence the reader is able to really imagine Daniel and be in his shoes. I also show more liked how the plot was well developed. This allowed the reader to really understand Daniel and and his struggle to facing his fears. It first started with Daniel saying he isn't afraid of dogs. Then one day his family has to dog sit and Daniel gets locked in the bathroom with the dog. Daniel faces his fear by petting her and realizing dogs aren't that bad. I also liked the story because this is a topic children of all ages can read about. No matter how old someone is we all have fears and that is completely acceptable. show less

The big idea from this book is friendship and compassion overcoming fear. I really like the overall message that the book portrays, that sometimes showing compassion for others can help us overcome our own fears and misconceptions. I also think that the illustrations really elevate the story, and you can see the emotion drawn into the characters faces (especially Daniel when he hides in the bathtub after Bandit runs in at night)

This lovely book follows a child through his fear of dogs but keeps denying it until he is faced with a situation where he has to be brave and hold a dog. He overcomes his fear and shows children that it's okay to be scared and you can always overcome it if you try. Makes for good personality development.