Once When I Was Scared
Written by Helena Clare Pittman
Illustrated by Ted Rand
Reviewed by Matt C. (age 7) & Chris P. (age 8)
Did you ever get scared? Well in this book there is a boy's grandpa who tells him a story about when he got scared when he was a boy. The fire had gone out in his house so his mother sent him to get some coals for the fire from their next door neighbors named the Nickersons. Next door was across two hills in the woods. It was a late autumn evening. It was dark and it was drizzling. He slipped over slippery rocks and roots. Branches caught the boy's woolen leggins. The boy got scared. To get over his fears, the boy uses his imagination and imagined himself as a quick, fast fox. Then he was able to jump and brake free. He continued on his quest to get to the Nickersons and he changed into other animals to help him get through the dark, scary woods. If you want to know about the other animals he decided to change into then you will want to read this book.
This book taught us to face our fears and not to be scared. We learned that we have to be like the animals that the grandpa turned into. For example, we learned that we have to be quick and sure of our movements like the fox. We liked the illustration of when the boy turns into a fox and carries the coal box. Ted Rand uses watercolors and pencils to make his beautiful illustrations.
We recommend this book to children who get scared. This book will help children face their fears.