Debi Gliori

(Bloomsbury Children Books)

Little Pip lives with his large family of rabbits in a burrow deep into a wild wood. this tiny rabbit has a huge list of things he is afraid of, some rather standard, some rather more unusual. But when he finds himself alone deep into the wood after waking late from an afternoon nap, he must go home on his own and along the way must confront his fears. He then realises that nothing is quite as terrifying as he first thought, and that maybe, just maybe, the scariest thing of all might be … him.

A beautiful gentle tale of conquering your fears and finding a way to empower oneself, The Scariest Thing of All is the perfect tale for tiny people at Halloween, offering just enough peril for the youngest of audiences to enjoy a bit of anticipatory fear while offering a soothing resolution to feelings that will be familiar to many preschoolers. Many children’s fears come from an over-active imagination and The Scariest Thing of All broaches the subject in a way that they can understand.

The use of beautiful autumnal colours help make this read a comforting and reassuring one, just the kind of book that makes you want to cuddle with your child under a blanket on a late dark afternoon.

I have always loved Debi Gliori’s work. Her books are always aesthetically stunning; her illustrations are always bursting with intricate detail and she has an incredible talent at drawing animal characters. The use of anthropomorphism in her stories help create an effective yet nonthreatening environment for young readers, and it has to be said, she does draw the cutest rabbits.

 A new Debi Gliori book is always a special treat for me The Scariest Thing of All certainly delivers, again. It is a beautifully illustrated gentle book with a heart-warming message at its heart.

All illustrations © Debi Gliori

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for providing a review copy of “The Scariest Thing of All”.

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