DARE TO BE DARING

Addressing our fears has never been this fun.

A group of diverse children try to overcome their anxieties. Each spread starts off with the same invocation—“Today, I will dare to be daring”—followed by a description of a daunting situation, from trying unfamiliar foods (“You say this is pea and beef stew?") and learning to ride a bicycle (“I may topple and tumble and flop. / But the second I’m at it, / my soul is ecstatic!”) to meeting new people (and pets) and going to the dentist. Threaded throughout the narrative is the hilarious yet relatable story of a terrified youngster who attempts several times to descend the stairs into a deep, dark, and positively creepy-looking basement. Wallace’s text has a bouncy rhythm to it, which makes for both a robust read-aloud and an excellent primer on modeling courage and thoughtful behavior. Cho’s gouache and colored pencil illustrations add levity. The kids she depicts are utterly expressive, their looks of pinched terror eventually turning into pure exuberance. Each spread focuses on a different child; youngsters from earlier scenes periodically show up to make cameos, adding to the community feel of the story. None of the characters are gendered, with the exception of a male dog, who just wants some attention for being a good boy.

A fiercely reassuring, wonderfully whimsical ode to courage in the face of uncertainty.