Brave Molly: (Empowering Books for Kids, Overcoming Fear Kids Books, Bravery Books for Kids)

by Brooke Boynton-Hughes

Overview

What do you do when no one can see your monsters but you? At first, Molly runs from them. But they follow her down the sidewalk, getting in the way when she tries to make a new friend, popping up unexpectedly out of shadows, and multiplying. Until finally...Molly faces her fears. Author-illustrator Brooke Boynton-Hughes delivers a modern classic in this moving adventure that honors everyday acts of bravery and the power of friendship to banish the monsters that haunt us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452161006
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	04/30/2019
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	256,930
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Brooke Boynton-Hughes is an introvert who often finds going out into the world anxiety-inducing. Just like Molly, Brooke found her voice with the help of books. She writes and illustrates children's books in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Editorial Reviews

05/31/2019

K-Gr 3-In this nearly wordless picture book, a young girl summons the courage to overcome her fears and vanquish the ever-present monster that only she can see. The opening spread zooms in on Molly's pencil sketch of this antagonist, made just frightening enough by scratchy cross-hatched lines and undefined features. From her window seat, the lonely girl gazes longingly at three children sitting on a nearby bench, but she is kept from joining them by the monster, which looms nearby. She finally heads outdoors, and though the boy greets her with a wave, the monster remains omnipotent. When the boy leaves a book behind, Molly is determined to return it. It will take a harrowing journey through the woods, with the monster (which multiplies into many monsters) close on her heels, before Molly understands that she must stop running away and stand up to her fears (the book is returned and a friendship is forged). The detailed, vividly expressive mixed-media illustrations convey the action while allowing readers to interpret the story for themselves. The monster is never named, and children can rely on their own experiences to verbalize how Molly is feeling; in the process, they can also consider their own anxieties and develop empathy for others. The scene in which Molly conquers her monsters (they are literally blown off the page by her explosion of courage and resolve) is empowering. VERDICT Offering much to digest and discuss, this tale is a superb choice for fostering social emotional learning.-Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs

School Library Journal

2019-02-13

A young child finds the courage to banish a familiar monster in this nearly wordless picture book.

The front endpapers depict a pencil drawing of a monster seen from the perspective of the artist. The story commences with the eponymous Molly reading in a window. She watches wistfully as a group of children crosses the street, but what's that behind them? It looks like the monster in her drawing, which she crumples angrily before rushing outside to approach the kids—but she does not interact. The monster—a manifestation of Molly's shyness—lingers behind a tree, watching. The children leave a book behind. Molly puts it in her bag and sets off after them, the monster a few steps behind. Molly's shyness multiplies as the monster is joined by a multitude of others; they dog her trail as she runs through horizontal panels, climbing trees and crawling through a log in order to elude them. How can Molly outwit her shyness? Maybe it's as simple as saying, "Hi." The artwork itself feels bashful, with soft colors and plenty of white space. Readers struggling with their own shyness will find inspiration in this plucky heroine. The crosshatched monsters, with sharp angles, mean mouths, and tiny eyes, are appropriately scary. Molly has tan skin and curly brown hair. One of the other children appears black; the others are white.

Brave indeed. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews