review from PW

The Fun Book of Scary Stuff

Emily Jenkins, Author, Hyewon Yum, Illustrator

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. (Aug.)