Enjoy two new children's book reviews from Leo.

No Pants!

Written and illustrated by Jacob Grant

“NO PANTS!”

Pablo and Dad are going to the family cookout today! Got to get ready! Breakfast? Check! Cleaned teeth? Check! Getting dressed? That part might be tricky…because Pablo doesn’t want to wear his pants! He doesn’t need his trousers to party! But Dad reminds him all folks must wear pants outside, everyone from firefighters to yoga teachers. Pablo isn’t easily swayed thought. Maybe he can finagle a new way to wear his pants?

This hilarious little book with charming illustrations is sure to get some giggles out of its readers!  I, for one, agree with Pablo that trousers are sometimes more trouble than their worth, but I also felt for his poor Dad trying to explain simple yet complex social structures that can just seem silly to kids. The ending was a good laugh too, and I think this is a classic book that both kids and grown-ups will definitely enjoy… with or without trousers on!

Me and my Fear

Written and Illustrated by Francesca Sanna

“Fear has always looked after me and kept me safe…But since we came to this new country, Fear isn’t so little anymore…”

Moving is hard, moving countries, is harder, and moving to a country where no one understands you? No wonder this child’s fear has grown and grown! Now, instead of protecting her and keeping her safe, this child’s fear is preventing her from living her everyday life or even leaving her house. But what if she’s not the only one with a secret fear? Maybe realizing other children have their own fear’s will help her tame hers. It can go back to keeping her safe, not secluded.

Whether your child is afraid of dogs, starting school, or perhaps even experiencing anxieties from COVID 19, this is a great book to help illustrate to them what they are feeling. I loved how fear is not vilified in this book. Fear is never seen as a “bad” emotion that must be obliterated. We are taught that fear has a purpose, it’s a good thing that keeps us from going to close to the edge of a cliff, or petting that yapping dog. Sometimes it just gets too big, and it’s not our fault. And we have ways to help calm that fear down. We are also not alone. Everyone has fears, and that can bring us closer together.