JESS WAS THE BRAVE ONE Jean Little Toronto, Viking Canada, 1991. 32pp, cloth, $18.99 ISBN 0-670-83495-5. Distrib­uted by Penguin Books Canada. CIP Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3/Ages 4 to 8 Reviewed by Norma Charles Volume 20 Number 2 1992 March Claire's little sister Jess was the brave one. She wasn't ever scared when they went to the doctor's for shots, when dark shapes hid behind the bedroom door after the lights were out, when they climbed trees, or met strange dogs. Jess even liked thunderstorms. She was the brave one, not like timid sister Claire, who had an overactive imagination. One Saturday, though, Claire hears her sister screaming. Some big kids have grabbed away her dear pink teddy bear. Suddenly, Claire is not scared. She marches right over and demands the return of her sister's toy, threatening the bullies with fictitious cousins plucked from her overactive imagination. She warns that her cousins "hate bullies, have dragon tattoos and are champion wrestlers in their spare time." The big kids laugh at her wild story, but relin­quish the toy, "just in case." And Jess, hugging Pink Ted, begs for more stories. Prospective Jean Little fans will love the wonderfully warm and gentle story with its lovely, soft, summery illustra­tions. They'll demand, like the four-year-old I tried the book out on, to hear it again, and again. It's sure to be a favourite at story-time. Norma Charles, Van Home Elementary School, Vancouver, B.C.