BOO! ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?

A child’s mom sets out to help him with his fear of the dark in Cobb’s illustrated children’s book.

Boo is absolutely, definitely not afraid of the dark. His covers may be over his head when his mom comes to tuck him in at bedtime, but he insists that he is brave. She catches on very quickly and decides to turn the tables on him to help him overcome his fears: “You say you are brave, and I know that it’s true. But what if I’m scared, what should I do?” she asks, cowering on Boo’s bed. When she crawls under the covers to hide with her son, he jumps out and stands in the middle of the room. When she spots a ghost rearing its ugly head by the wardrobe, Boo explains it away as his teddy bear. And when she sits up at the sight of a shadowy head, Boo shows her that it’s just his clown, Bobbles. Time after time, Mom finds something to be afraid of in Boo’s room, moving him to allay her concerns while facing his own fears at the same time. Noises don’t faze him; he quickly debunks the idea of monsters in the closet or under the bed. Once every possibility is exhausted, Mom turns out the light with a sweet declaration that brings the story around full circle. The role reversal between Boo and his mom is a simple twist that effectively models social and emotional learning. The rhyming format doesn’t particularly add to the text’s effectiveness, and the bold white letters, outlined in black, appear a bit dated, but neither of these elements takes away from the story. Potapenko’s painterly illustrations have a retro flavor. She portrays both Boo and his mom as white-skinned with red hair.

A heartwarming story to help children overcome their bedtime fears.