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When You Are Brave
An inspiring picture book affirmation about having courage even in difficult times, because some days, when everything around you seems scary, you have to be brave .
Saying goodbye to neighbors. Worrying about new friends. Passing through a big city. Seeing a dark road ahead. In these moments, a young girl feels small and quiet and alone. But when she breathes deeply and looks inside herself, a hidden spark of courage appears, one she can nurture and grow until she glows inside and out.
New York Times bestselling author Pat Zietlow Miller's uplifting words join New York Times bestselling illustrator Eliza Wheeler's luminous art to inspire young readers to embrace their inner light--no matter what they're facing--and to be brave.
Saying goodbye to neighbors. Worrying about new friends. Passing through a big city. Seeing a dark road ahead. In these moments, a young girl feels small and quiet and alone. But when she breathes deeply and looks inside herself, a hidden spark of courage appears, one she can nurture and grow until she glows inside and out.
New York Times bestselling author Pat Zietlow Miller's uplifting words join New York Times bestselling illustrator Eliza Wheeler's luminous art to inspire young readers to embrace their inner light--no matter what they're facing--and to be brave.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published March 5, 2019
8 people are currently reading
477 people want to read
About the author
Pat Zietlow Miller
30 books247 followersPat Zietlow Miller knew she wanted to be a writer ever since her seventh-grade English teacher read her paper about square-dancing skirts out loud in class and said: “This is the first time anything a student has written has given me chills.” (Thanks, Mrs. Mueller! You rock!)
Pat started out as a newspaper reporter and wrote about everything from dartball and deer-hunting to diets and decoupage. Then, she joined an insurance company and edited its newsletter and magazine.
Now, she writes insurance information by day and children’s books by night. She has 11 picture books available and 12 more that will be coming out in the next few years.
Her books in print are: SOPHIE’S SQUASH, WHEREVER YOU GO, SHARING THE BREAD, THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE, SOPHIE'S SQUASH GO TO SCHOOL, WIDE-AWAKE BEAR, LORETTA'S GIFT, BE KIND, REMARKABLY YOU, MY BROTHER THE DUCK and WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE.
Pat has one wonderful husband, two delightful daughters and two pampered cats. She doesn’t watch much TV, but she does love "Chopped." Pat lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Pat started out as a newspaper reporter and wrote about everything from dartball and deer-hunting to diets and decoupage. Then, she joined an insurance company and edited its newsletter and magazine.
Now, she writes insurance information by day and children’s books by night. She has 11 picture books available and 12 more that will be coming out in the next few years.
Her books in print are: SOPHIE’S SQUASH, WHEREVER YOU GO, SHARING THE BREAD, THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE, SOPHIE'S SQUASH GO TO SCHOOL, WIDE-AWAKE BEAR, LORETTA'S GIFT, BE KIND, REMARKABLY YOU, MY BROTHER THE DUCK and WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE.
Pat has one wonderful husband, two delightful daughters and two pampered cats. She doesn’t watch much TV, but she does love "Chopped." Pat lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
March 10, 2019
4.5 stars! An inspiring and uplifting children’s book!
This children’s story helps little readers to understand that there will be times in life that they feel worried, scared, anxious or nervous and that’s ok! This powerful little book provides young minds with some simple and effective tools on how to deal with stressors in their life and bravely overcome situations that may seem intimidating.
This was perfect timing for my five-year-old daughter who currently faces challenges with feeling comfortable jumping in the deep end of the pool at swimming lessons. This feel-good story helped her to think of ways to work through her worries.
I highly recommend this wonderful book for any little ones in your life!
Thank you to Hachette Book Group for gifting me a copy to read and review.
This children’s story helps little readers to understand that there will be times in life that they feel worried, scared, anxious or nervous and that’s ok! This powerful little book provides young minds with some simple and effective tools on how to deal with stressors in their life and bravely overcome situations that may seem intimidating.
This was perfect timing for my five-year-old daughter who currently faces challenges with feeling comfortable jumping in the deep end of the pool at swimming lessons. This feel-good story helped her to think of ways to work through her worries.
I highly recommend this wonderful book for any little ones in your life!
Thank you to Hachette Book Group for gifting me a copy to read and review.
March 12, 2020
I like the art, but the self-help hogwash in the text feels like a particularly bad string of aphorism-laden Facebook posts. Ugh.
September 27, 2021
Featured in a grandma reads session.
Moving is sooooo hard. Going to new places, new living arrangements, a new, strange community, new people, new trees, new dirt, new everything. Soooo hard. It's darker there, weirder there, the people talk funny, the scary things are even scarier. Even the things you like are out of place.
This sweet little book goes through all the weird, out-of-place, not-my-favorite scenarios and talks through them. They all get better. They sort themselves, and the best thing to do is be brave and just wait through the sorting. When one gets to the other side, you will most likely like it . . .maybe even better than before. You never know.
My group enjoyed this book quite a bit.
Moving is sooooo hard. Going to new places, new living arrangements, a new, strange community, new people, new trees, new dirt, new everything. Soooo hard. It's darker there, weirder there, the people talk funny, the scary things are even scarier. Even the things you like are out of place.
This sweet little book goes through all the weird, out-of-place, not-my-favorite scenarios and talks through them. They all get better. They sort themselves, and the best thing to do is be brave and just wait through the sorting. When one gets to the other side, you will most likely like it . . .maybe even better than before. You never know.
My group enjoyed this book quite a bit.
August 17, 2019
Great book for studying the mood in the illustrations, and the metaphors in the text. Great message about being brave.
August 31, 2019
"Make your courage so big/it brightens your heart,/fills your fingers, and flows to your toes" (from the back dust jacket copy).
Many times, as encouraged by reader-leaders like Michigan's Travis Jonker (who gives us The Undies), we are quick to take the dust jacket off of a new picture book in order to see if the case is presented differently or with a unique design or touch. I, not a reader-leader, am going to try to convince you to wait until the end of Pat Zietlow Miller's WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE (if you can). The reveal of the case after the reading the story is a breath-taking moment that you will want to have for yourself and for the readers with whom you share this special 2019 title.
The author and illustrator, Aliza Wheeler, are the creative team behind WHEREVER YOU GO, which has been my go-to gift book for my senior teacher aides who come back to the room to assist our incoming AP English Language and Composition students. I often write my letter inside of the book on the end papers (which is really ironic, as for these students, what we might call the "end papers" are the beginning of a new story's opening titles).
The truth of any text is found when holding it up to the light (however we might define this light). Little, Brown's design of the book presents something special in holding the book up to the light. A spread pair of ethereal wings extend from our main character's back as she stands akimbo in the middle of the road of some neighborhood marked by four houses. Her attire is that of the everyday neighbor child in a zippered sweater and striped shorts with loosely-tied shoes (the daily uniform of the young with a world ahead of them waiting to be discovered and claimed). All of this first image is framed in twilight with sparkling stars scattered about the cover. As a One Book Four Hands choice, this feature will delight young readers with whom the book might be shared by an adult looking for a book that centers new experiences as opportunities to express resolve and to experience bravery.
The end papers of this new title from Pat and Eliza call to mind "Starry Starry Night" with the swash of gentle colors suggesting twilight and the end of the day that will come over the course of the story to come. Sharing the book with younger readers, older reading partners might note that WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE actually begins with the title page spread with a depiction of a family loading belongings into, and onto, what looks like a VW Bug. On verso, a motherly-figure if offering a hand motion to "come" to a character whose face is half-hidden by an upper room window in the recto image. There are opportunities for discussion regarding what is not being said but being shown in this first spread as we see that the mother might be expecting a new child and the presence of more people who could fit inside of a small car. Might these be other family members? Friends of the family? Neighbors seeing our family off? All of this scene is presented in the colors spilling from cover art and end papers suggesting this story begins in the early, early morning of the story to come. Picture books provide opportunity to talk into the story before it unfolds and Pat and Eliza come together in this opening to provide a chance to really pull from the potential of the picture book as a shared discovery and chance to talk and to learn between mentor and learning reader.
"Some days, when everything around you seems scary. . .you have to be brave."
These are the first words we see in the book. Separated by the ellipsis, the recto reveals our main character from the cover standing and looking at an empty bookcase holding a book under her arm. The verso presents "you have to be brave" on a mostly-darkened page with a partially open door. Again, as reviewer, I suggest that the mentor reader spend some time on this page. Teachers using the book as an introduction to the Hero's Journey might be able to identify this spread as "Crossing the Threshold" and what this means for our main character. What is the book she is holding? Why did this one not get packed away with the others that might have been upon the shelf?
The next spread depicts the main character stepping out from house with the box from the previous spread. It is now evident to the reader that there is a clear separation from the family who is moving from the other characters who have gotten up early to see them off. Two similes are presented on the facing pages which start to show us Pat Zietlow Miller's gift for using simple wors to present beauty in comparison of our potential bravery to that which we might see around us if we were to look. A suggestion that we are called to be brave as others are called is a strong message early on in WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE.
The next spread continues in simile but creates a real turn from the expectation of momentous bravery to a suggestion of the more ubiquitous variety: "Because some days are full of things you rather not do." Now, WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE begins to become suitable for moments big and small, extraordinary and quotidian. In this spread, the illustrator shows us the book our character was cradling is a scrapbook photo album. Stuffed animals in the box accompanying the character in the back seat of the car now seem to be glancing at the book with our character. The absence of some facial detail suggests the companions in the seat are looking along with mix of interest, nostalgia, and concern.
The reader gets a character's eye view of the book in the next spread and the suggestion of invitations and opportunities to come are anchored by images suggesting the character has done some of these things before. Readers might be invited to draw and create similar past experiences to a new one with the book as an anchor and guide from past to present.
"At times like these, the world can seem. . .Too big. Too loud. Too hard. Too Much." The use of ellipsis again provide an opportunity to put words in that space for feelings that are ready to present and to be shared or discussed. Here, older and younger reader might need not have had a moving experience but can draw some similarity of new experiences and what the bring to the surface. "When you feel. . .Too Small. Too quiet. Too tired. Not enough." For older readers with whom teachers might be sharing WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE as an introduction to The Hero's Journey, leader-readers might talk about how the difference between the stems, "Never _______ enough" can often generate more responses than when the stem reads, "__________ enough" (an invitation for a potentially-powerful invitation to write.
Wheeler depicts the family car as very small within these images of urban setting cast in darkness with two small headlights illuminating a path through "The Belly of the Whale."
A next spread reveals a soft rain beginning along the journey. In recto, the family covers the belongings with a tarp. Inside the car under the text, "It might be hidden away (describing courage)" as the reader sees the main character, wide-eyed, seeming to dig deep for what has been hidden (or "packed away"). Hands are wrapped about a blanket the hero of our book has fetched from her box and it appears that she is bracing herself for this moment. In Room 407, we talk about where gifts, talents, and treasures lie. Deep. Inside. They always have. They still do.
This is where I have to pull back a little bit on reveals as the book begins to reveal its (and our) inner gift of magic and transformation. I could reference E. T.: The Extra Terrestrial here, but I would have said too much. But. . .I might suggest that leader-readers pull out or cue Neil Diamond's "Heartlight" which was scrapped for that film but provides an opportunity for a wonderful musical "ladder" (Teri Lesesne) for WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE. If you don't, I will have already with my readers.
Our family car is now covered and coated with the "star stuff" (PETER AND THE STAR CATCHERS) becomes a potential "ladder" for WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE. Are you beginning to see how these "ladders" work?
"Think about what you're good at."
"Something you love."
"Or someone who loves you. . ."
WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE is not only an invitation to consider moments when we must call upon our inner reserves to be courageous, but an opportunity to take inventory of our stores sustaining us in those moments when we are pre-brave. . .or simply being.
As the sun rises fully in the book, the character returns to the scrapbook and revisits more moments from her past experiences. The creative team of the book reminds us in words and image that a return to our story is a return to the start. . .and guides us to new beginnings of stories to be written, and shared, and revisited.
No spoilers, but finishing pages of WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE position or character now as one that has visited fear, found a center, and now presents before a new opportunity. Similes from the beginning come back at the end and present, now, our character as "brave."
And suggests, "As brave as. . .you."
For everything that is not said in the ellipses there is powerful symbolism. I am not sure if this were Pat Zietlow Miller's WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE, but I see something of story in those three dots.
You.
Me.
Them.
As we enter into new callings and encounters, we enter into the ellipsis of our past experience, our current position and understanding, and our want (and need) for shared bravery: mine, yours, and theirs.
This year, our Room 407 students will share WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE as a reflection upon our reading of Chris Crutcher's "A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune" and our consideration of the feature-length film, ANGUS. We will explore bravery and what it means for us. As teacher. As students. As room. As community members. And citizens.
WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE is a continuation of Pat Zietlow Miller's work in affirming young (and old) readers by meeting them where they often find themselves and helping them to navigate a path ahead in accessible language that is universal. Even when we are in ellipsis, we are still experiencing (and beginning to narrate) our stories.
And, now, having experienced WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE, remove carefully the dust jacket to consider the case. And see that the creative team has given us a "mirror" of what it means to be a human: a "dust jacket" with a "case" inside.
Many times, as encouraged by reader-leaders like Michigan's Travis Jonker (who gives us The Undies), we are quick to take the dust jacket off of a new picture book in order to see if the case is presented differently or with a unique design or touch. I, not a reader-leader, am going to try to convince you to wait until the end of Pat Zietlow Miller's WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE (if you can). The reveal of the case after the reading the story is a breath-taking moment that you will want to have for yourself and for the readers with whom you share this special 2019 title.
The author and illustrator, Aliza Wheeler, are the creative team behind WHEREVER YOU GO, which has been my go-to gift book for my senior teacher aides who come back to the room to assist our incoming AP English Language and Composition students. I often write my letter inside of the book on the end papers (which is really ironic, as for these students, what we might call the "end papers" are the beginning of a new story's opening titles).
The truth of any text is found when holding it up to the light (however we might define this light). Little, Brown's design of the book presents something special in holding the book up to the light. A spread pair of ethereal wings extend from our main character's back as she stands akimbo in the middle of the road of some neighborhood marked by four houses. Her attire is that of the everyday neighbor child in a zippered sweater and striped shorts with loosely-tied shoes (the daily uniform of the young with a world ahead of them waiting to be discovered and claimed). All of this first image is framed in twilight with sparkling stars scattered about the cover. As a One Book Four Hands choice, this feature will delight young readers with whom the book might be shared by an adult looking for a book that centers new experiences as opportunities to express resolve and to experience bravery.
The end papers of this new title from Pat and Eliza call to mind "Starry Starry Night" with the swash of gentle colors suggesting twilight and the end of the day that will come over the course of the story to come. Sharing the book with younger readers, older reading partners might note that WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE actually begins with the title page spread with a depiction of a family loading belongings into, and onto, what looks like a VW Bug. On verso, a motherly-figure if offering a hand motion to "come" to a character whose face is half-hidden by an upper room window in the recto image. There are opportunities for discussion regarding what is not being said but being shown in this first spread as we see that the mother might be expecting a new child and the presence of more people who could fit inside of a small car. Might these be other family members? Friends of the family? Neighbors seeing our family off? All of this scene is presented in the colors spilling from cover art and end papers suggesting this story begins in the early, early morning of the story to come. Picture books provide opportunity to talk into the story before it unfolds and Pat and Eliza come together in this opening to provide a chance to really pull from the potential of the picture book as a shared discovery and chance to talk and to learn between mentor and learning reader.
"Some days, when everything around you seems scary. . .you have to be brave."
These are the first words we see in the book. Separated by the ellipsis, the recto reveals our main character from the cover standing and looking at an empty bookcase holding a book under her arm. The verso presents "you have to be brave" on a mostly-darkened page with a partially open door. Again, as reviewer, I suggest that the mentor reader spend some time on this page. Teachers using the book as an introduction to the Hero's Journey might be able to identify this spread as "Crossing the Threshold" and what this means for our main character. What is the book she is holding? Why did this one not get packed away with the others that might have been upon the shelf?
The next spread depicts the main character stepping out from house with the box from the previous spread. It is now evident to the reader that there is a clear separation from the family who is moving from the other characters who have gotten up early to see them off. Two similes are presented on the facing pages which start to show us Pat Zietlow Miller's gift for using simple wors to present beauty in comparison of our potential bravery to that which we might see around us if we were to look. A suggestion that we are called to be brave as others are called is a strong message early on in WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE.
The next spread continues in simile but creates a real turn from the expectation of momentous bravery to a suggestion of the more ubiquitous variety: "Because some days are full of things you rather not do." Now, WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE begins to become suitable for moments big and small, extraordinary and quotidian. In this spread, the illustrator shows us the book our character was cradling is a scrapbook photo album. Stuffed animals in the box accompanying the character in the back seat of the car now seem to be glancing at the book with our character. The absence of some facial detail suggests the companions in the seat are looking along with mix of interest, nostalgia, and concern.
The reader gets a character's eye view of the book in the next spread and the suggestion of invitations and opportunities to come are anchored by images suggesting the character has done some of these things before. Readers might be invited to draw and create similar past experiences to a new one with the book as an anchor and guide from past to present.
"At times like these, the world can seem. . .Too big. Too loud. Too hard. Too Much." The use of ellipsis again provide an opportunity to put words in that space for feelings that are ready to present and to be shared or discussed. Here, older and younger reader might need not have had a moving experience but can draw some similarity of new experiences and what the bring to the surface. "When you feel. . .Too Small. Too quiet. Too tired. Not enough." For older readers with whom teachers might be sharing WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE as an introduction to The Hero's Journey, leader-readers might talk about how the difference between the stems, "Never _______ enough" can often generate more responses than when the stem reads, "__________ enough" (an invitation for a potentially-powerful invitation to write.
Wheeler depicts the family car as very small within these images of urban setting cast in darkness with two small headlights illuminating a path through "The Belly of the Whale."
A next spread reveals a soft rain beginning along the journey. In recto, the family covers the belongings with a tarp. Inside the car under the text, "It might be hidden away (describing courage)" as the reader sees the main character, wide-eyed, seeming to dig deep for what has been hidden (or "packed away"). Hands are wrapped about a blanket the hero of our book has fetched from her box and it appears that she is bracing herself for this moment. In Room 407, we talk about where gifts, talents, and treasures lie. Deep. Inside. They always have. They still do.
This is where I have to pull back a little bit on reveals as the book begins to reveal its (and our) inner gift of magic and transformation. I could reference E. T.: The Extra Terrestrial here, but I would have said too much. But. . .I might suggest that leader-readers pull out or cue Neil Diamond's "Heartlight" which was scrapped for that film but provides an opportunity for a wonderful musical "ladder" (Teri Lesesne) for WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE. If you don't, I will have already with my readers.
Our family car is now covered and coated with the "star stuff" (PETER AND THE STAR CATCHERS) becomes a potential "ladder" for WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE. Are you beginning to see how these "ladders" work?
"Think about what you're good at."
"Something you love."
"Or someone who loves you. . ."
WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE is not only an invitation to consider moments when we must call upon our inner reserves to be courageous, but an opportunity to take inventory of our stores sustaining us in those moments when we are pre-brave. . .or simply being.
As the sun rises fully in the book, the character returns to the scrapbook and revisits more moments from her past experiences. The creative team of the book reminds us in words and image that a return to our story is a return to the start. . .and guides us to new beginnings of stories to be written, and shared, and revisited.
No spoilers, but finishing pages of WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE position or character now as one that has visited fear, found a center, and now presents before a new opportunity. Similes from the beginning come back at the end and present, now, our character as "brave."
And suggests, "As brave as. . .you."
For everything that is not said in the ellipses there is powerful symbolism. I am not sure if this were Pat Zietlow Miller's WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE, but I see something of story in those three dots.
You.
Me.
Them.
As we enter into new callings and encounters, we enter into the ellipsis of our past experience, our current position and understanding, and our want (and need) for shared bravery: mine, yours, and theirs.
This year, our Room 407 students will share WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE as a reflection upon our reading of Chris Crutcher's "A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune" and our consideration of the feature-length film, ANGUS. We will explore bravery and what it means for us. As teacher. As students. As room. As community members. And citizens.
WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE is a continuation of Pat Zietlow Miller's work in affirming young (and old) readers by meeting them where they often find themselves and helping them to navigate a path ahead in accessible language that is universal. Even when we are in ellipsis, we are still experiencing (and beginning to narrate) our stories.
And, now, having experienced WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE, remove carefully the dust jacket to consider the case. And see that the creative team has given us a "mirror" of what it means to be a human: a "dust jacket" with a "case" inside.
November 25, 2020
This should be a part of everyone's library, especially if you have small children at home. What a beautiful message to instill courage and find inner strength, to confront fears and overcome them. A great book to discuss as a family. It's filled with love and hope.
Brava, Pat!
Brava, Pat!
April 2, 2019
How can I share how wonderful this book is? The brief descriptions of scared feelings and the how-to find courage need nothing more than to be shared. Following this young girl as she leaves her home and says goodbye, moving to "what?" can be frightening, yet as the hours go, Pat Zietlow Miller fills the pages with the way to find one's courage and Eliza Wheeler's illustrations show the feelings in big and bold paintings. Imagining the finding of courage means the searching for that tiny light, hidden, but Miller writes: "If you close your eyes and/breathe, you will see it–/shining its light in the dark./Warm. Steady. Safe." She suggests that it can be turned into a flame, and offers a few ways to do that, too. I won't quote all, though it's tempting, and it's quite empowering. I imagine it will start so much great conversation with kids, or groups of kids, adults, too!
March 19, 2019
The illustrations in this book are gorgeous and the text is beautifully written. A very comforting book for someone transitioning to something new. I loved the way this book teaches that every time we're brave it allows us to remember our bravery and build on it for the next time we need to be brave. Illustrations of the girl looking at a photo album and seeing past moments when she was brave as she's in a car traveling to a new home, where a new bout of bravery is needed, support this. Also I love the way the little seed of bravery is shown expanding and flowing out of her as beautiful starry wings. This was a great one!
January 12, 2021
This was a picture book read aloud during a church service this past weekend. The pictures are gorgeously illustrated; I especially love the way Eliza Wheeler's illustrations depict "sparks of courage" in almost star-like representation filling the child's body in small ways then reaching out to encompass the characters and larger surroundings. The story is relatable about facing situations of unknown and uncertainty, especially while letting go of the past. The illustrations are an integral part of the story here, conveying as much as Miller's words; a very good blending of story and art. This is one I can highly recommend. By the way, there is also a great YouTube video of the book being read for those that can't immediately get their hands on a copy.
October 31, 2019
There are days when everything may seem really scary.
Things may seem…
“Too big. Too loud. Too hard. Too much.”
Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do like standing alone in front of a crowd or taking a bus all by yourself to school.
But, you can be brave.
In this story, a young girl and her family have to say goodbye to their beloved home and embrace a new home. She looks within and takes a deep breath. She finds the courage from within to face her fears and to be brave. This beautifully illustrated picture book encourages us to be brave when we may feel isolated and alone.
Reviewed by: Jane Khaytin, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
Things may seem…
“Too big. Too loud. Too hard. Too much.”
Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do like standing alone in front of a crowd or taking a bus all by yourself to school.
But, you can be brave.
In this story, a young girl and her family have to say goodbye to their beloved home and embrace a new home. She looks within and takes a deep breath. She finds the courage from within to face her fears and to be brave. This beautifully illustrated picture book encourages us to be brave when we may feel isolated and alone.
Reviewed by: Jane Khaytin, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
May 1, 2019
I like so many of Miller's books. This is not high on the list. The story is a little broad, and I fear that children may not get it.
September 10, 2023
Read this to my grandson.
March 12, 2019
Depending on any given situation we need, throughout our lives, all kinds of courage. It comes in all shapes and sizes; a little bit is welcome here and a whole bunch is imperative there. What we find daunting, others may accept with ease. It is most important to remember everyone, without exception, needs courage. Finding that necessary strength is the key to unlocking our potential.
When a family moves, all the changes and all the unknowns, regardless of a sense of adventure some feel, are hurdles of fear to be faced. When You Are Brave (Little, Brown and Company, March 5, 2019) written by Pat Zietlow Miller with illustrations by Eliza Wheeler addresses how one girl works her way to bravery. It's not easy but it is well worth the effort.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
When a family moves, all the changes and all the unknowns, regardless of a sense of adventure some feel, are hurdles of fear to be faced. When You Are Brave (Little, Brown and Company, March 5, 2019) written by Pat Zietlow Miller with illustrations by Eliza Wheeler addresses how one girl works her way to bravery. It's not easy but it is well worth the effort.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
March 14, 2019
Life can be scary for everyone and this awesome picture book uses a relateable story and gorgeous illustrations to help young readers learn to cope with overwhelming fears. The little girl in the story is moving away to a new neighborhood, but as she reflects on some of the other scary times that she has faced and looks inside herself to find that spark that becomes the glow that helps her find her way out of the dark times, she calms down and finds herself experiencing hope and joy. This book would be good to share with young readers who might be experiencing this sort of change in their own lives. It could also inspire young writers to share their own strategies for overcoming life's challenges. This book would pair well with other books about dealing with the stress of moving like Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna and A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts.
October 18, 2019
The text and illustrations combine to create a tender, uplifting story. Pat Zietlow Miller created a beautiful, uplifting poem about the bravery required when you are faced with "days full of things you'd rather not do." And Eliza Wheeler add magical illustrations that provide the plot of a child's family moving far away to a new home and discovering the spark (her bravery) within herself. This is a great book for anyone needing a boost in confidence, young and old, and a wonderful addition to any library.
March 6, 2019
There will always be changes in a child’s life that seem scary and where courage is needed to overcome. A sweet story that addresses this very premise and shows readers what happens when you push through your fears.
December 19, 2021
Reviewed Here for CBR 13 .
Echoing a lot of what gets covered in You’ve Got Dragons, the focus here is more on practicing being brave, and the different situations you might need to do that in.
” Because once you find your courage, it’s easy to use again and again.
The next time life seems scary to you or you start something new,
you can remember
when you were brave.”
The completely validating emotional aspects of all of these stories (in so many different ways), are one of the reasons I love them so much. Pig is buoyed and appreciated by his friends, regardless of his anxiety. Alfie misses something that seems “important”, but the world doesn’t end when he misses it. His parents LISTEN to him, and BELIEVE him, and let him choose, and deal with the consequences of his choices. Dragons exist, and can be conquered. Sometimes they just happen, on any ordinary day, and there are ways to deal with them, no matter how overwhelming they feel.
Pig’s illustrated ‘what if’ spiral; Alfie checking in with his dad after the day goes crooked; Nick’s Dad taking him to the soccer field in the middle of thing night to find a magical dinosaur – all of these books are VALIDATING the emotions of young children in hugely positive, forward thinking ways. Pig’s descent into panic is believable, and relatable, and just this side of overwhelming. Nick’s Dad understands the need for a comfort item without question. Alfie’s parents figure out an alternative to the thing that was giving their kid sleepless nights.
Learning that Dragons aren’t a punishment, or a thing you have to pretend away, and that being brave takes practice, but gets easier the more you do it. It’s the way Alfie is able to express “All around him, the ocean felt as heavy as the world,” and we know what he means. And – more importantly – KIDS will know what he means. Without ever mentioning (ever!) the words anxiety or panic, all of these books convey those FEELINGS in a way kids can understand and connect to.
And having it broken down like that? Is such a valuable tool for teachers, and parents, and kids. Because that tornado of ‘worst possible things that could happen’ is NOT rare, and anxiety – in these pandemic times, especially – is so common, that it’s its own mental health crisis. We should be addressing it now, as it’s happening. Kids deserve to have books that treat mental health like just another part of their life, body, & experiences. They need these kind of books to help them build the social-emotional vocabulary, and essential skills that understanding how our brains work, & how to adapt to our brains, requires from us. It’s not even that difficult to incorporate coping skills and understanding into everyday stories, honestly? As illustrated beautifully in each of these books.
I don’t know about you, but my goal for the kids in my life – big & little – is to help them build their emotional intelligence up to the point that they’re eventually able to recognize, express, and feel all their feelings – even the really hard ones – in as healthy a way as possible. Having books like these around, as part of our emotionally literate library, is one of the tools I consider essential for that.
Hence, my gift giving book budget continues to grow & grow, and I have yet to feel even the tiniest bit sorry about it.
Echoing a lot of what gets covered in You’ve Got Dragons, the focus here is more on practicing being brave, and the different situations you might need to do that in.
” Because once you find your courage, it’s easy to use again and again.
The next time life seems scary to you or you start something new,
you can remember
when you were brave.”
The completely validating emotional aspects of all of these stories (in so many different ways), are one of the reasons I love them so much. Pig is buoyed and appreciated by his friends, regardless of his anxiety. Alfie misses something that seems “important”, but the world doesn’t end when he misses it. His parents LISTEN to him, and BELIEVE him, and let him choose, and deal with the consequences of his choices. Dragons exist, and can be conquered. Sometimes they just happen, on any ordinary day, and there are ways to deal with them, no matter how overwhelming they feel.
Pig’s illustrated ‘what if’ spiral; Alfie checking in with his dad after the day goes crooked; Nick’s Dad taking him to the soccer field in the middle of thing night to find a magical dinosaur – all of these books are VALIDATING the emotions of young children in hugely positive, forward thinking ways. Pig’s descent into panic is believable, and relatable, and just this side of overwhelming. Nick’s Dad understands the need for a comfort item without question. Alfie’s parents figure out an alternative to the thing that was giving their kid sleepless nights.
Learning that Dragons aren’t a punishment, or a thing you have to pretend away, and that being brave takes practice, but gets easier the more you do it. It’s the way Alfie is able to express “All around him, the ocean felt as heavy as the world,” and we know what he means. And – more importantly – KIDS will know what he means. Without ever mentioning (ever!) the words anxiety or panic, all of these books convey those FEELINGS in a way kids can understand and connect to.
And having it broken down like that? Is such a valuable tool for teachers, and parents, and kids. Because that tornado of ‘worst possible things that could happen’ is NOT rare, and anxiety – in these pandemic times, especially – is so common, that it’s its own mental health crisis. We should be addressing it now, as it’s happening. Kids deserve to have books that treat mental health like just another part of their life, body, & experiences. They need these kind of books to help them build the social-emotional vocabulary, and essential skills that understanding how our brains work, & how to adapt to our brains, requires from us. It’s not even that difficult to incorporate coping skills and understanding into everyday stories, honestly? As illustrated beautifully in each of these books.
I don’t know about you, but my goal for the kids in my life – big & little – is to help them build their emotional intelligence up to the point that they’re eventually able to recognize, express, and feel all their feelings – even the really hard ones – in as healthy a way as possible. Having books like these around, as part of our emotionally literate library, is one of the tools I consider essential for that.
Hence, my gift giving book budget continues to grow & grow, and I have yet to feel even the tiniest bit sorry about it.
July 29, 2020
I scrambled to buy this one last summer, when our older daughter needed a little bravery boost for a summer camp... And we've returned to it multiple evenings in times of need, when the thought of what was coming the next day was a little too much. But, we've also pulled it out simply for a fun read, because When You Are Brave is a fantastically written and beautifully illustrated picture book!
When You Are Brave opens with an image of a family packing up their car for a move, and acute observers will notice two eyes peering out from inside the house. A turn of the page shows us that those eyes belong to the main character, whose family is moving, “everything around [her] seems scary,” and she has to be brave. Though the words tell us her head knows that, her body language lets us know her heart feels differently. Miller’s story pulls us in, and our hearts start to flutter along with the girl’s. After all, we all know what it's like to feel "too small, too quiet, too tired, not enough."
But Miller reminds us that, inside, we are indeed enough. We do indeed have enough. Because inside of all of us, we have the courage we need. We know it's there because we've used it before, and when we need it again, it will be there still. Even more importantly, remembering what we're good at, the things we love, and the people who love us makes our courage as big as we need it to be. And using our courage is like exercising our muscles -- every time we use it, it gets stronger and easier to use!
Wheeler's illustrations bring you along the emotional ride of the story just as much as Miller's words. In the beginning, the spreads are filled with blues, echoing not only the time of day but also the moods of the main character. When she remembers the courage inside her, however, light starts to fill the pages, illuminating the story from the inside out and letting us know that the girl is indeed ready for her new adventure. Be sure to check out the hidden artwork under the cover and the gorgeous endpages!
When You Are Brave opens with an image of a family packing up their car for a move, and acute observers will notice two eyes peering out from inside the house. A turn of the page shows us that those eyes belong to the main character, whose family is moving, “everything around [her] seems scary,” and she has to be brave. Though the words tell us her head knows that, her body language lets us know her heart feels differently. Miller’s story pulls us in, and our hearts start to flutter along with the girl’s. After all, we all know what it's like to feel "too small, too quiet, too tired, not enough."
But Miller reminds us that, inside, we are indeed enough. We do indeed have enough. Because inside of all of us, we have the courage we need. We know it's there because we've used it before, and when we need it again, it will be there still. Even more importantly, remembering what we're good at, the things we love, and the people who love us makes our courage as big as we need it to be. And using our courage is like exercising our muscles -- every time we use it, it gets stronger and easier to use!
Wheeler's illustrations bring you along the emotional ride of the story just as much as Miller's words. In the beginning, the spreads are filled with blues, echoing not only the time of day but also the moods of the main character. When she remembers the courage inside her, however, light starts to fill the pages, illuminating the story from the inside out and letting us know that the girl is indeed ready for her new adventure. Be sure to check out the hidden artwork under the cover and the gorgeous endpages!
June 12, 2019
I am always completely enchanted by the creations of these two, Miller and Wheeler; their beautiful unions of words and pictures draw you deep into the spirit of the story and allow you to feel the magic stirring within.
When You Are Brave is no exception. Right from the end pages and half title page illustrations, this story makes you pause and explore every minute detail. It's a tale about letting go, saying goodbye, moving on and facing the doubt and apprehensions that change incites.
When one little girl is forced to leave her home in the city and travel to her new home by the sea, she is overcome with forlorn anxiety. She mourns the loss of all that she knew before and fears all that she has yet to encounter; all the small things that make up big parts of a young person's life, like boarding the bus to a new school. It's almost too much to handle, especially when you feel too small, too quiet and too tired.
Then she learns to look deep within her and spots the spark that flickers into a flame that grows bigger and bolder until it brightens her whole heart and soul. It's a glow that tells her she is ready to face whatever lays before her. It's her courage to manage fear and the knowledge that what ever happens, she'll be all right.
I love the message of hope and self-actualisation that pours from this book. It's a notion that many of us, young and old will do well to remember and take great heart from. Four and a half stars - the half star loss was only due to the ever so slight didactic overtones of the narrative, despite its gentle delivery and beautiful word choice. The girl's story is powerfully told through Wheeler's mesmerising illustrations resulting in a book that is most parts pure magic.
When You Are Brave is no exception. Right from the end pages and half title page illustrations, this story makes you pause and explore every minute detail. It's a tale about letting go, saying goodbye, moving on and facing the doubt and apprehensions that change incites.
When one little girl is forced to leave her home in the city and travel to her new home by the sea, she is overcome with forlorn anxiety. She mourns the loss of all that she knew before and fears all that she has yet to encounter; all the small things that make up big parts of a young person's life, like boarding the bus to a new school. It's almost too much to handle, especially when you feel too small, too quiet and too tired.
Then she learns to look deep within her and spots the spark that flickers into a flame that grows bigger and bolder until it brightens her whole heart and soul. It's a glow that tells her she is ready to face whatever lays before her. It's her courage to manage fear and the knowledge that what ever happens, she'll be all right.
I love the message of hope and self-actualisation that pours from this book. It's a notion that many of us, young and old will do well to remember and take great heart from. Four and a half stars - the half star loss was only due to the ever so slight didactic overtones of the narrative, despite its gentle delivery and beautiful word choice. The girl's story is powerfully told through Wheeler's mesmerising illustrations resulting in a book that is most parts pure magic.
October 8, 2019
When You Are Brave is a fictional book with the story told more through the images while the overall theme is told through the text. The beginning images give us clues that the main character, a young girl, is making a move to another state or city. The first few pages are a series of metaphors explaining bravery and what it means, “as brave as a bird that steps from its nest, hoping to soar through the sky.” Towards the end of the book, the young girl finds a light inside of her that is courage. What’s ironic is that the beginning pages are dark in color and as she finds her “light” or courage, more color appears on the page. The book ends with a mention of the metaphors from the beginning pages as the young girl feels brave about moving to a new place and making new friends, as it gradually revealed.
The soul theme of this book is bravery, as the young girl was making a move into a new place and she needed to find courage inside of her. This story can be all too familiar to kids.
I personally relate to this as I made two big moves in college. First, I moved to Kansas to attended Kansas State University. Then, I moved to Fort Worth to attend TCU. The move to Kansas was definitely harder than the move to Fort Worth. I am from Texas so I knew what to expect but moving to Kansas was full of new and unfamiliar experiences. I never moved as I child but I can only imagine how much harder that would be.
I 100% recommend this book. I feel it is such a great way to show students they can be brave, in really any situation. I feel the story was only explained in the pictures so all students could relate to the overall theme of the book described in the text.
The soul theme of this book is bravery, as the young girl was making a move into a new place and she needed to find courage inside of her. This story can be all too familiar to kids.
I personally relate to this as I made two big moves in college. First, I moved to Kansas to attended Kansas State University. Then, I moved to Fort Worth to attend TCU. The move to Kansas was definitely harder than the move to Fort Worth. I am from Texas so I knew what to expect but moving to Kansas was full of new and unfamiliar experiences. I never moved as I child but I can only imagine how much harder that would be.
I 100% recommend this book. I feel it is such a great way to show students they can be brave, in really any situation. I feel the story was only explained in the pictures so all students could relate to the overall theme of the book described in the text.
Read
October 4, 2019This book is very inspirational and talks about having courage even during the hardest times. This book talks about a girl who is moving houses and has to say goodbye to her old neighborhood. This books shows her journey on her way to her new place where she is worried about meeting new friends, getting on a new school bus and riding to school wondering what lies ahead. All of these things seem very scary to her but at the end of the book, she learns to leave those scary moments behind her and learns to be brave.
Evaluation: This book is a great inspirational book for students in elementary school that may be going through what this little girl was going through. They need to learn how to be brave and learn to move on even if the situation may seem scary. I loved how this book includes great images of what the book is talking about. It is kid friendly and a great size to read.
Lesson: This book can be a great book to help inspire younger students to be brave even in scary situations. It is important first, to find their courage and let go of their fears because at the end of the day, everything will fall back into place.
Evaluation: This book is a great inspirational book for students in elementary school that may be going through what this little girl was going through. They need to learn how to be brave and learn to move on even if the situation may seem scary. I loved how this book includes great images of what the book is talking about. It is kid friendly and a great size to read.
Lesson: This book can be a great book to help inspire younger students to be brave even in scary situations. It is important first, to find their courage and let go of their fears because at the end of the day, everything will fall back into place.
May 25, 2019
We really loved Pat Zielow Miller’s 2018 picture book Be Kind so we were very interested to see what this new book would be like and we were not disappointed. This is one of those picture books from which you can take away something different each time you read it. The lines, “Because some days are full of things you’d rather not do” and, “At times like these, the world can seem … Too big. Too loud. Too hard. Too much.” insightfully reflect the anxieties and worries that many children experience in their daily lives. Sometimes it is difficult to find that kernel of courage within you. Wheeler’s gorgeous colour palette of dark blues and greys bursting into bright yellows and oranges, mirror the change of mood as the little child is given some strategies to turn that little spark of courage into a flame.
Suitable for 5+ - themes of courage, resilience, change, hope, anxiety
Suitable for 5+ - themes of courage, resilience, change, hope, anxiety
June 16, 2020
An inspiring picture book affirmation about having courage even in difficult times, because some days, when everything around you seems scary, you have to be brave.
Saying goodbye to neighbors. Worrying about new friends. Passing through a big city. Seeing a dark road ahead. In these moments, a young girl feels small and quiet and alone. But when she breathes deeply and looks inside herself, a hidden spark of courage appears, one she can nurture and grow until she glows inside and out.
New York Times bestselling author Pat Zietlow Miller's uplifting words join New York Times bestselling illustrator Eliza Wheeler's luminous art to inspire young readers to embrace their inner light--no matter what they're facing--and to be brave
Saying goodbye to neighbors. Worrying about new friends. Passing through a big city. Seeing a dark road ahead. In these moments, a young girl feels small and quiet and alone. But when she breathes deeply and looks inside herself, a hidden spark of courage appears, one she can nurture and grow until she glows inside and out.
New York Times bestselling author Pat Zietlow Miller's uplifting words join New York Times bestselling illustrator Eliza Wheeler's luminous art to inspire young readers to embrace their inner light--no matter what they're facing--and to be brave
September 21, 2020
This picture book was great way to encourage kids to be brave and try new things. It was a simple read and the pictures were very eye catching and easy to analyze. One can understand the book just based off the illustrations. I love the meaning behind the story and I really could have used this book when I was young. I was very shy and was always scared or nervous to use my voice or try new things. If I read this growing up I would have had more courage when trying something new and I would know that it's okay to be scared at first. Like the story says, "The next time life seems scary or you start something new, you can remeber when you were brave". I think this is a great picture book for all children and has an excellent lesson behind it!
March 5, 2019
"Make your courage so big it brightens your heart, fills your fingers, and flows to your toes."
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This book is stunning, inside and out! The illustrations are absolutely beautiful! The color palette is perfect and really mirrors the story. The melodic text desribes how a child must bravely face new challenges in her life. These challenges are relatable to children and show them to look inside themselves and to be brave and courageous in times of uncertainty and apprehension.
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Thank You to the Publisher for #gifting us this book.
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For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
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This book is stunning, inside and out! The illustrations are absolutely beautiful! The color palette is perfect and really mirrors the story. The melodic text desribes how a child must bravely face new challenges in her life. These challenges are relatable to children and show them to look inside themselves and to be brave and courageous in times of uncertainty and apprehension.
•
Thank You to the Publisher for #gifting us this book.
•
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
July 28, 2019
Fresh off another resolution to limit my book buying, I borrowed When You Are Brave from the library. The writing and the illustrations are tightly interwoven, which will delight kids, and both are stunning. It’s an affirming story that applies equally well to all ages. “At times like these, the world can seem...Too big. Too loud. Too hard. Too much. While you feel...Too small. Too quiet. Too tired. Not enough.” I had to pause my reading repeatedly to makes notes on the writer’s craft...Too beautiful. So much for resolutions; now I must have my own copy. Definitely one of my favorite books of 2019!
February 21, 2020
"Your light might be small to start - just a spark - but you can turn it into a flame."
My favorite line in this picture book, and perhaps the most poetic you can find in it.
I found the story to be a bit too didactic or straightforward with its message. I prefer the use of story to teach, rather than a preachy style. But the message is a good one, nevertheless.
The illustrations were okay. I found the style a bit uneven, but maybe that was intended for effect. The illustrations began as high contrast, light and dark, with drab colors. But then shifted to a psychedelic sort of effect on some pages and just normal ho-hum depictions towards the end. Three stars.
My favorite line in this picture book, and perhaps the most poetic you can find in it.
I found the story to be a bit too didactic or straightforward with its message. I prefer the use of story to teach, rather than a preachy style. But the message is a good one, nevertheless.
The illustrations were okay. I found the style a bit uneven, but maybe that was intended for effect. The illustrations began as high contrast, light and dark, with drab colors. But then shifted to a psychedelic sort of effect on some pages and just normal ho-hum depictions towards the end. Three stars.
August 10, 2020
This one was good but somehow didn't totally grab me. Story of a girl moving from home to a new place and feeling shy, but finding her bravery and curiosity to get through it. My three-year old, who I really wanted to like it because she is sometimes so painfully shy, didn't really seem like it resonated with her either. I think maybe it was a bit too unspecific about how you truly find this spark to help you be brave, like look within, but if you can't find it, then what? Might be more effectively communicated in a narrative where someone finds their brave and faces some obstacles in doing so.
Read
September 15, 2020 The illustrations in this book are gorgeous and the text is beautifully written. A very comforting book for someone transitioning to something new. I love the way this book teaches that every time we're brave it allows us to remember our bravery and build on it for the next time we need to be brave. Illustrations of the girl looking at a photo album and seeing past moments when she was brave as she's in a car traveling to a new home, where a new bout of bravery is needed, support this. Also I love the way the little seed of bravery is shown expanding and flowing out of her as beautiful starry wings. This was a great one!
September 28, 2020
Muted tones in illustrations alert the reader immediately that the protagonist faces a time that's emotionally overwhelming and that "some days are full of things you'd rather not do." Story encourages readers to "look deep inside to find the courage you need." Then as the story unfolds, hope grows--both in words and illustrations, and the color palette brightens as well. Though the text never mentions that the child's family is moving to a new house, that underlying story comes through in the illustrations. The larger theme of bravery applies, then, no matter why a child is feeling overwhelmed.
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