Children relate to the excitement of venturing onto forbidden sidewalks and stepping on every crack as Sheila Rae turns a simple walk into a grand urban adventure.
Younger siblings will feel a surge of triumph when the supposedly timid Louise reveals she has been secretly tracking their path and saves the day.
The illustrations capture the dramatic shift from Sheila Rae’s puffed out chest and swagger to her wide eyed realization that she is lost in a strange place.
The story taps into the universal childhood experience of acting tough in front of others while secretly feeling small when the lights go out or the surroundings change.
Reach for this book when your child is acting overly confident or boastful to hide their insecurities, or if you are navigating a period of sibling rivalry where one child feels 'smaller' than the other. This charming story follows Sheila Rae, a spunky mouse who prides herself on her fearlessness, until she takes a wrong turn and finds herself truly lost and afraid. In a beautiful role reversal, her quieter sister Louise steps up to lead the way home. It is an excellent choice for children ages 4 to 8 because it validates that everyone feels scared sometimes and shows that asking for help is a form of courage. Parents will appreciate how it softens the edges of a 'know-it-all' child and empowers the sibling who usually stays in the shadows.