Why Are We Afraid?

Max’s father continues giving examples of why one might feel afraid, whether it be from loneliness, war, loss or the future. Even though fear might “stop us in our tracks…we always keep going.” When the lights come back on, Max is no longer afraid, and he keeps the lights off, asking his father to tell him spooky stories. Similar to Pintadera’s previous book, Why Do We Cry, some of the reasons for being afraid are a bit abstract and might not mean a lot to a child, but the examples create a perfect space for discussion. Often the reasons are vague enough that adults will be able to attach their own experiences to the text and further a child’s understanding.

Each spread includes one small chunk of text, and so the book is not too text heavy, and the accompanying illustration covers the whole spread. The richly coloured illustrations are outstanding and do an excellent job in providing additional meaning to the text, depicting exactly what a child might think the words are saying. For example, with the text “loud words and roaring blows”, the illustration shows a monstrous figure with flames coming out of its mouth, rather like a roaring dragon. It is also interesting to note that fear, itself, is depicted as an object, always near Max, until the very end, when Max is no longer afraid and the fear is finally released.

Why Are We Afraid? is an important book to have in library collections and will assist with children’s emotional literacy. The text and illustrations create many opportunities for discussion, and caregivers will be able to use this book to introduce challenging topics to children. With diverse characters to boot, this gorgeous picture book is a winner.