THE BLANKET

A fearful boy discovers the ultimate security blanket.

Tommy is frightened by everything: the wind, the ocean, even loud laughter. When a thunderstorm sends him scurrying into an armoire in his bedroom one night, he discovers a ludicrously large blanket and wraps himself within its folds. Tommy believes that the blanket has protective powers and begins to wear it everywhere despite its enormous size. Feeling a newfound bravery, he’s emboldened to try new things. But when the blanket snags on a branch and unravels without Tommy noticing, he finds himself alone and exposed in the snowy woods. Instead of panicking, Tommy marvels at sensory experiences like the feel of snowflakes and the sound of birdsong. These sensations ground him and give him the courage to live life more fully. Translated from French, the gently playful text brings a sense of lightness to the topic of childhood anxiety. Quiet, carefully rendered illustrations do the same; it’s impossible not to smile at images of the blanket smushing Tommy’s family and crowding his classmates. The poignant ending offers hope that life needn’t be defined by fear, though its simplicity has the potential to frustrate fearful children who know anxiety has no such magic bullet. Tommy has light skin and dark hair; his classmates vary in skin tone.

A soft, whimsical approach to a complicated subject.