"With its warm palette and gentle scenes of the worried child being comforted, this book could function as a sequel to Sanna's astounding debut picture book, The Journey, which recounted a family's dangerous flight from their home in a war zone. Sanna provides an empathetic exploration of the adjustment to a new land that all migrants experience."--New York Times Book Review
"Authentic and immediate, the first-person narration draws in readers and reveals just how easily fear can become overwhelming and isolating, but can also be controlled when feelings are shared and through comfort found in friendship. ÂLike Sanna's The Journey, this book about an immigrant's experiences tackles a tough topic with honesty, empathy, and a sense of hopefulness."-School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
"This follow-up to The Journey about a refugee family fleeing a war-torn homeland, focuses on the young daughter's apprehension as she adjusts to life in a new country and a new school."-The Horn Book Review
"[...] this creative depiction shows how friendship, empathy, and connection can help bring the overwhelming down to size for all."
-Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
"A universal book that can be used to explain fear to readers and give empathy to those in a new environment."
-Kirkus Reviews
"It will be a familiar story for many children, but the girl's specific fears about language and difference might make this useful for discussions about newcomers as well."
-Booklist
When a young immigrant girl has to travel to a new country and start at a new school, she is accompanied by her Fear who tells her to be alone and afraid, growing bigger and bigger every day with questions like "how can you hope to make new friends if you don't understand their language?" But this little girl is stronger than her Fear. A heart-warming and timely tale from the bestselling author and illustrator of The Journey, this book shows us the importance of sharing your Fear with others--after all, everyone carries a Fear with them, even if it's small enough to fit into their pocket!
Industry Reviews
"[...] this creative depiction shows how friendship, empathy, and connection can help bring the overwhelming down to size for all."
--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW "A universal book that can be used to explain fear to readers and give empathy to those in a new environment."
--Kirkus Reviews
"It will be a familiar story for many children, but the girl's specific fears about language and difference might make this useful for discussions about newcomers as well."
--Booklist
"[...] the pages get more colorful and the fears are contained within each spread to visually indicate to readers that fears are manageable and though they might not disappear completely, the most important thing is that we don't have to be scared alone."
--Let's Talk Picture Books
"A raw, tender story..."
--Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
"Me and My Fear is a lovely reminder that we all have our fear with us, especially in new situations, which all of us have to face at some point. It serves as a wonderful visual representation of the anxiety an immigrant child might be experiencing and hopefully help them recognize that it doesn't have to rule the day. The illustrations are clean and bright and just right."
--Luan Stauss, Laurel Bookstore, Oakland, CA