Dare to Be Daring

May 1, 2024
Addressing our fears has never been this fun. A group of diverse children try to overcome their anxieties. Each spread starts off with the same invocation--"Today, I will dare to be daring"--followed by a description of a daunting situation, from trying unfamiliar foods ("You say this is pea and beef stew?") and learning to ride a bicycle ("I may topple and tumble and flop. / But the second I'm at it, / my soul is ecstatic!") to meeting new people (and pets) and going to the dentist. Threaded throughout the narrative is the hilarious yet relatable story of a terrified youngster who attempts several times to descend the stairs into a deep, dark, and positively creepy-looking basement. Wallace's text has a bouncy rhythm to it, which makes for both a robust read-aloud and an excellent primer on modeling courage and thoughtful behavior. Cho's gouache and colored pencil illustrations add levity. The kids she depicts are utterly expressive, their looks of pinched terror eventually turning into pure exuberance. Each spread focuses on a different child; youngsters from earlier scenes periodically show up to make cameos, adding to the community feel of the story. None of the characters are gendered, with the exception of a male dog, who just wants some attention for being a good boy. A fiercely reassuring, wonderfully whimsical ode to courage in the face of uncertainty. (Picture book. 3-7)

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May 1, 2024

K-Gr 3-Everyone has hesitations and fears that prevent them from doing what they really want to do. Wallace has a fear of spiders, and in this book tackles some of the things young children fear. "Today, I will dare to be daring when I get to the playground to play. My eyes will not peek, but I'll certainly shriek in a will-I-come-down sort of way." The "dare to be daring" catchphrase acts to coax the child, here with light brown skin and wearing a worried look, into taking a risk. Every scene teaches that it's okay to make mistakes, to fail, to give up. Stage fright, fear of throwing oneself into the dodgeball game, or the frightful scene of a dark basement steps are all here as in the first person, "I will dare to be daring" is repeated right before the facing of the obstacle. Cho's colorful and engaging illustrations are an excellent complement to Wallace's use of repetition, rhythm, and rhyme to walk young children through the most common things that they fear. VERDICT The creators have come up with an excellent book for caregivers and children who are struggling with their fears, for discussion or as a guide to pushing through.-Laura Ellis

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 6, 2024
“Today, I will dare to be daring./ It is something I’ve wanted to try.// No sidelines for me—I’m jumping in, whee!/ I’ll dodge it, I’ll duck it, I’ll fly!” Lin Wallace’s upbeat rhymes riff on the titular phrase to encourage bravery in the face of various experiences via this upbeat picture book. As arrayed children conquer common childhood challenges
such as performing onstage, trying a new food, going to the
dentist, and more, a trip to the basement lurks, on repeat, as a seemingly impossible act of courage (“No, nope, not happening”) until, at last, even that feels achievable. Paint smudges and squiggles form a colorful backdrop for Cho’s round-faced figures, portrayed with various abilities and skin tones, as they smoothly map to the text. Relatable, motivating messaging seems sure to strengthen readers’ resolve. Ages 4–8.

July 1, 2024
Grades K-3 Lots of kids feel nervous about trying new things, and this bright, animated picture book in peppy, bouncing rhymes offers plenty of encouragement and support. A refrain of "Today I will dare to be daring" kicks off a wide variety of experiences, and the wary kids carry on: "I'm going to try, / even while I'm still shy," says one kid, who is later enthusiastically welcomed into a game of marbles. Other scenarios involve trying new food, going to the dentist, learning to ride a bike, and meeting a dog. One kid's goal--to descend to a dark basement--comically breaks up the rhyme scheme ("Today I will dare to be daring. / I will . . . No, I can't") at intervals until she finally succeeds, emphasizing how sometimes courage takes persistence. The worries are all different, but the lively approach is lighthearted and reassuring, which is carried through charmingly in Cho's bold, blocky cartoon illustrations that express the kids' shifting emotions with playfully exaggerated facial expressions. A fun pick for group storytime.

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July 1, 2024
The refrain "today, I will dare to be daring" is repeated as children complete activities that make them nervous (going down a slide; trying a new food). Wallace sensitively handles these concerns and acknowledges that some fears are harder to face than others. One child contemplates heading down into a dark basement three times throughout the book; Wallace's playful rhyme scheme is absent from those pages, giving the child's fears heft. It takes them three times before accomplishing it. Cho's dynamic gouache and colored-pencil illustrations capture both the children's apprehension and eventual relief and joy.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)