Fraidy Dog

Poor Fraidy Dog is afraid of everything, spiders, storms, even domestic appliances (hoover and washing machine). It takes the arrival of a great big, ‘furrocious’ cat to help him relax. With his brave new friend, Fraidy starts to play and things that used to alarm him are no longer scary, although the hoover proves that even the bravest get scared sometimes. This tried and tested approach to overcoming fears is distinguished by Kate Sheehy’s illustrations, skilful compositions and control of her narrative. The POV zooms in on Fraidy, to emphasise his fear, then out again to reveal the various items that are frightening him, from sofa to houseplants. Depicted in bold, bright colours and almost 3D at times, these are anthropomorphised just enough to seem playful rather than scary, and are full of movement. Little children will relate to Fraidy as he jumps and scampers before finally conquering his fears. A fun story with a very appealing central character to deliver its reassuring message.