Captain Courage and the
Fear–Squishing Shoes
A third grader finds herself on the first day of school
in a new and strange environment. She
has no friends, and is reluctant to make new ones. Katie silently wishes she could join in, but
doesn’t have the courage to do so. On
the playground she is enticed to come and play, but her shyness takes over and
disallows her to enjoy herself. Katie is
overwhelmed in the lunch room and finds it difficult to join in with
others. She wants so badly to take part
in the show and tell her class is involved in, but fears she will not be able
to get up there and express her true talents.
In this story
Katie is surprised by a colorful caring individual who finds it in his heart to
show Katie in a most unusual way, that having confidence in one’s self is
nothing more than knowing you can do it.
Katie’s dilemma is similar to many children who find themselves in awkward
situations. This is a great book for
children who lack confidence in themselves, and also it is a wonderful book for
children who don’t understand those who are shy. I think most children could
identify with Katie through this story, and see how unique each of them truly
are themselves.
In the end Katie does some pretty amusing things and
reveals some extraordinary talents. The
art work by Michelle Morse is bright,
engaging, and will without a doubt, draw children into the story.
Stacey
A. Marshall, the author of this book, has truly captured the essence of how
a child feels when overwhelmed with shyness and new surroundings. I recommend this book as a learning tool as
well as an entertaining read for children and parents.
CAPTAIN COURAGE & THE
FEAR-SQUISHING SHOES
This book was
reviewed by Susan Hornbach, Author of children’s literature.
www.susanhornbach.com
