I Used to Be Afraid

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Overview

There are a lot of things to be afraid of in this world: spiders, the dark, being alone. In this simple, beautifully-crafted picture book, acclaimed author/illustrator Laura Vaccaro Seeger shows that what seems scary at first, can become magical. It all depends on perspective. Using die-cuts, learn that a scary spider can actually produce an intricate and gorgeous web and that sometimes the dark can transform into a magical night sky. You'll be surprised, awed, and inspired by this clever book.

This title has Common Core connections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596436312
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	09/29/2015
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,106,843
Product dimensions:	8.34(w) x 8.86(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Among Laura Vaccaro Seeger's many distinctive books for children are First the Egg, a Caldecott Honor Book and Geisel Honor Book; One Boy, a Geisel Honor Book; Dog and Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; and Green, recipient of five starred reviews. Laura lives on Long Island with her husband, Chris, their two sons, Drew and Dylan, and their dog, Copper.

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/01/2015
Common fears are named and put to rest in Seeger’s (Green) visually dramatic picture book. A girl wears an open-mouthed expression of shock in the opening spread, watching a spider dangle from her ceiling. “I used to be afraid of spiders,” she reports, continuing with a decisive “but not anymore.” The spider is a die-cut opening to the next spread, where the girl observes the spider building a web, an array of sticky, stuttering lines that appear drawn with white glue. Repeating this pattern of stating and recontextualizing conquered fears, Seeger shifts the sources of anxiety from manageable things, like shadows and “making a mistake,” to the discomfort brought by life changes. Four spreads address “being alone”: a rectangular cutout becomes the window of a bus taking the girl’s friend away to camp. The girl hangs her head until the “but not anymore” page pictures her contentedly reading beneath a tree. Seeger uses striking acrylic hues, chunky shapes, and a resolute voice to suggest that fears (even those involving big brothers) can be overcome. Despite its small dimensions, this book suggests big determination. Ages 3–7. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Despite its small dimensions, this book suggests big determination.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher

09/01/2015
PreS-Gr 1—A short but cleverly designed tale about a little girl who overcomes her fears by looking at scary things from another perspective. Illustrated with Seeger's signature acrylic paint collages with die-cuts, each spread alternates between the phrase "I used to be afraid of [the scary thing in question]" and the cutout of the scary object, and the next spread that shows it transformed into something less threatening with the words "but not anymore." Spiders are rendered harmless by the beauty of their intricate webs and spooky shadows by a game of shadow puppets, while loneliness is defeated by reading, and though the little girl is still intimidated by her older brother, in the end they are pictured playing together amicably. Spare but formulaic text and large font make it suitable for both the youngest readers and those learning how to read independently. VERDICT A wonderful story to engender a discussion about being afraid and possibly even inspire its young audience to conquer their own fears.—Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2015-08-01
Standard Seeger ingredients of careful die-cuts, lush painting, and child-centered text combine in her latest picture book.A striking cover shows a wide-eyed girl, her mouth agape, looking to the right and seeming to dread the book's opening. The title page doesn't reveal what's scared her, increasing readers' anticipation as the girl cowers behind a chair. Subsequent pages relate that she "used to be afraid of" spiders, shadows, and the dark; each fear is then followed by a double-page spread that resolves it with the line "but not anymore" and a picture that uses integral die-cuts to renegotiate the once-scary thing. For example, the scary spider is not-so-scary when the girl gazes in wonder at its web. Other, more abstract fears—of making a mistake, change, and being alone—are then articulated, deepening the emotional resonance of the character's experiences. Concluding spreads show her running from her big brother, who wears a scary mask. In a clever and honest twist, this fear isn't so easily resolved. "I used to be afraid of my big BROTHER / and I STILL AM!" she declares. Seeger saves the best for last, though, with the last page slyly adding "Sometimes" as the girl tries on the mask behind her unsuspecting brother, and then closing endpapers deliver a pleasing coda of sibling play.The ingredients may be standard, but the recipe yields a fresh, new dish that's outstanding in almost every way. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews