The Scaredy Monster by Matt Coyne (Author) and Brendan Kearney (Illustrator)
Everyone has a talent--right? Well, one little monster doesn't know what hers is and her class's talent show is tomorrow. The Scaredy Monster tackles some all-too-familiar feelings: a fear of being on stage, a fear of being judged, and a deeper fear of being unremarkable. The little monster admires her friends for their variety of impressive, silly, and creative talents, but knows she can't do any of those. Her parents encourage her to simply try things and see what she feels she has a knack for. After failed attempts, she lands on something to perform.
Author Matt Coyne does an excellent job of taking a common anxiety and making it more playful with his happy and rhyming monster-filled world. This brightness that he has added makes the topic easier to approach with kids. In a way, the monsters (and joyful rhymes) make fears less scary but also more relatable.
I especially appreciated that the little monster tries many talents--her trials reminded me of the phrase "Be brave enough to be bad at something new." Although we do not see her try out the talent she ultimately performs, we do get to see her keep trying despite not finding her niche.
Illustrator Brendan Kearney's artwork perfectly matches Coyne's overall tone. Kearney makes the characters look like creatures of out a child's imagination--with familiar elements (such as eyes) that are then altered a bit (such as having more than two!). Finally, Kearney's use of color and light help amplify what the main character is feeling.
If you're looking for a way to talk to kids about finding their talents or about conquering a fear of being on stage and judged, I'd recommend the forthcoming The Scaredy Monster by Matt Coyne (Author) and Brendan Kearney (Illustrator).
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