THE BRAVEST WORRIER

A little girl learns to overcome her terrible worries in this empowering but simplistic picture book.

Zayny, a light-brown skinned girl with curly brown hair, is a huge worrier. She worries about germs and time, worms and limes. She worries about dreams before she falls asleep. Weather, being dirty, imaginary monsters, bee stings, hangnails, and people saying mean things are all on her long list of apprehensions. She decides to take matters into her own hands: “Get out of my thoughts and out of my head! / Out of my dreams and from under my bed!” she tells her troubles. It’s the beginning of a new Zayny: Without her worries, she can have adventures and fun, and she can finally let herself be happy. Monet’s rhyming text ably captures many of the things that young worriers might fret about, some realistic and others far-fetched. However, young readers who share Zayny’s early anxious attitudes may scoff at how easily she sends her imagined problems packing. The illustrations depict the worries in various forms, but frequently as large, hairy monsters that hold Zayny helpless; the huge forms make Zayny appear smaller on the page, despite her cool clothing and hair styles and her huge eyes. Monet’s digital paintings are eye-catching, and though Zayny appears shiny and doll-like in some illustrations, her emotions shine through to reflect the text, both in her worry and once she is worry free.

An empowering, imaginative tale that simplifies the journey to becoming carefree.