BRAVE ADVENTURES LITTLE GIRL

Anika is sometimes afraid, but her grandfather tells her stories that give her confidence.

Anika loves going with her mom to visit her grandparents. After a good lunch with curry, rice, and fish—traditional Sri Lankan foods—Anika wants to show off her new hopscotch skills. Unfortunately she falls, and Achi, a doctor, must bandage her up. Afterward, the kindergartener admits that she is not brave and often feels “funny in my tummy.” Seeya reassures her that this happens to everyone, illustrating this with personal stories. Her grandparents immigrated to Australia from Sri Lanka, but long before they made that journey, Seeya led an exciting life. He encountered a water monitor while swimming near his boyhood home, went to university in England, ran with the bulls in Pamplona, traveled with a student group to the Soviet Union, and attended the Olympics in Italy. Seeya shows Anika these places in an atlas, and the map of each country and its flag appear in the illustrations. (The present-day Russian flag is shown instead of the hammer and sickle.) The illustrations are softly stylized, with humans looking rather like clothed stick figures. Their faces (the family members have light brown skin and dark hair) have simple but friendly features. The sweet pictures and the gentle message about trying new activities make this a book worthy to be shared. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

This engaging family story encourages readers to embrace adventure.