Why Are We Afraid?

Starred review from April 1, 2023
After the electricity cuts off during a thunderstorm, a pajama-clad father and son discuss fears by candlelight. As this Spanish import opens, Max asks his dad if he has ever been afraid. Dad explains that fear is universal--and he acknowledges how quickly it can arise. Instantly the home is filled with black ovals of different sizes. As Dad describes various types of fears, Max vividly conjures up visuals. There is fear of the unknown, depicted as a maze of trees, and loneliness, paired with an image of a huddled Max looking at a group of partygoers. There are times when people are afraid "because the real monsters aren't under the bed after all." Planes drop black ovals over a city, causing smoke to billow. Pintadera, Sender, and Petricic explored the complexities of another emotion in Why Do We Cry? (2020); they are equally effective in developing a nuanced approach to this topic, even suggesting that "Often we're afraid of freedom." Max is not consumed by this conversation. When the streetlights come on, he wants to linger in semidarkness, because "It's the perfect night for telling stories." Scary ones. With its surreal imagery, the stylized, arresting artwork evokes fear yet also hope in the face of terror. Max and Dad are both brown-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A safe space to examine a powerful, often overwhelming feeling. (Picture book. 4-8)

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