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, show more 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. show less

An overconfident mouse gets a comeuppance when her misguided bravery gets her into a pickle. Thank goodness for little guardian angels.

I find Sheila Rae rather annoying, so I am unable to enjoy the book, but my daughter liked it well enough when she was a tot. She liked all the books in Kevin Henkes' mouse universe.

FOR REFERENCE:

Rated "Indifferent" in our old book database by Rod; rated "Good" by Adelia.

I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. I really enjoyed the character development of Sheila Rae and her little sister, and how well it ties into the plot of the story. The story is engaging for young readers, because the language is so repetitive. I also really enjoyed the characters in the story, and how everyone is so impressed with Sheila Rae because she is truly so brave and fearless. Her sister looks up to her because of this, however it is her little sister that ends up saving the day. I thought the overall message was really nice, because it can help little kids realize that anyone can be brave and a hero. The illustrations in the story were also bright and colorful, which is something little kids would like to look at. show more This story pushes readers to reconsider what they think is brave, and maybe push themselves. When Sheila Rae is walking home and she thinks that she is lost, she is able to rely on her little sister to help her find a way home. This can help kids to realize that unsuspected heroes are the best kind. This overall message is some important for kids, especially younger ones. show less

I really enjoyed this book. I really like Kevin Henkes stories. I just read Chrysanthemum. I thought this story did a good job of teaching children that it is ok to be scared, and it is ok to need other's for support and strength. I also liked how it was her little sister who helped her out in the end. I think this shows children that their brothers and sisters are there if they every need any help with anything.

Being brave is a characteristic that may not come upon people as normally as it may others. Shelia Rae is a fearless mouse; growling at stray dogs, stepping on the sidewalk cracks. Her sister Louise is constantly nagged for being to scared to do anything. Shelia Rae's pride is overcome when her sister helps her find her way home. Louise was now a fearless mouse similar to her sister. This book is a lesson can teach children to not let their pride and ego over take themselves. It allows the readers to learn that no matter the name calling, the constant nagging, Louise always knew deep down that she was brave. Everyone is brave in their own unique way and for Shelia Rae and Louise, it turned out bravery was on the same page. I would read show more this book to a group of first graders because they will have a better understanding of the word bravery. They will be able to recite back to the teacher instances in which they were brave. show less

Sheila Rae confuses risk-taking with bravery and calls her sister names because she doesn't like to take risks or do things that Sheila Rae thinks are not scary. Sheila learns a lesson one day when the two sisters get lost and her little sister has to help them find their way home. Cute book for pre-K through 2nd grade. Could be used for a compare and contrast or cause and effect lesson.

Collections
Picture book
Grade: K-3
Modern fantasy
Sheila Rae, The Brave is a cute storybook that depicts a young, but very brave mouse. Sheila Rae thinks that she is the braver than all of the rest, and that her sister is a "scaredy-cat". The main message of the story is family because when Sheila Rae finally gets lost and is afraid, her little "scaredy-cat" sister was there to help her, and show her the way home. Without the help of her little sister Sheila Rae would have been lost in the woods. Even though Sheila Rae's little sister was the hero, she was very mature about the situation. She was not condescending to Sheila like she was to her when she was scared. "When they reached their own yard and the gate was closed behind them Sheila show more Rae said, "Louise, you are brave. You are fearless." "We both are," said Louise. And they walked backwards into the house with their eyes closed" (Henkes). Besides the main message, another aspect of the book that I enjoyed were the illustrations. The illustrations are big, colorful, and do an effective job of showing the progression of the story. I also noticed that the illustrations do a great job of conveying emotions. At the beginning of the story Sheila Rae always had her head up in the air. She was very proud. However, by the time she was lost in the woods she had her chin all the way to her chest. At the end of the story both Sheila Rae and her sister were proud of themselves for getting home safely, and seemed to have developed a new bond. show less