(NOTE: I was given a copy of this book but all opinions are my own.)
Some kids experience fears. Scared of spiders? Strange people? A boogey man under the bed? These are fairly normal.
Do you have any grandkids that are afraid of things? Then Scaredy Cats by Jeff Mack could be a great book for that fearful child.
Three kittens are faced with a pink polka-dotted present. One thinks it’s a cake.
The other two are skeptical — and skittish.
What if there is a cake AND a big hungry crocodile in the present?
Maybe there’s tiger inside?
Or even a great white shark?
Or maybe all three?
There could even be a T-Rex in there!
(It’s an awfully small box for all of those things don’t you think?)
Then you turn the page and see . . .
. . . SPOILER ALERT! . . . SPOILER ALERT! . . .
Now, if you don’t want to know how this children’s picture book ends, you can stop reading right now and go your merry way. But, just before you leave, I want you to know that since you’re not going to read the rest of my post (which is perfectly fine) that I think you need to know that this is a wonderful book and that you need to get a copy of it.
So.
If you’re still reading, I’m assuming that you’re okay with knowing how this book ends before you get a chance to read it yourself. (I must admit that when I read a book I read the ending first. And that’s perfectly fine.)
Now. Back to the book.
When you turn the very last page you see . . .
. . .. Nothing!
There isn’t one single thing there. Zip. Nada. The reader is left hanging.
And in my humble opinion this is good.
It provides an opportunity for you to ask your grandchild things like;
- Why do you think the scaredy cat is so scared?
- What do you think he’s so scared of?
- Could something scary fit in the box?
- Do you think the things that the scaredy cat said could be in the box could REALLY fit in a box?
- What are some of the things that you are scared of?
- Will it fit in a box?
- What can you learn from this book?
I love the illustrations in the book. They’re cute. Colorful. Fun. Kid (and parent) appealing. And the faces on the scaredy cats are priceless.
I love the preposterous things that the scaredy cat comes up with that might be in the box. I’d definitely be afraid if I had a present that contained a tiger or a crocodile!
I like that this is different from other books that covers the topic of childhood fears. It’s a light-hearted and funny approach to the subject.
I give this book 2 thumbs up!
You can get a copy of Scaredy Cats by Jeff Mack on Amazon for $18.99.
