why are we afraid?

WRITTEN BY FRAN PINTADERA

ILLUSTRATED BY ANA SENDER

From the creators of the highly acclaimed Why Do We Cry? comes this poignant, evocative exploration of the many reasons we feel fear. After a clap of thunder, the lights in Max’s house go out. Max’s father lights a candle, and Max asks, “Dad, have you ever been afraid?” His father says everyone is afraid sometimes. Then he slowly and carefully begins to describe the contours of fear. He explains how even small fears can seem to flood everything around us. He enumerates the many different things that can make us afraid: shadows, feeling lonely, losing what we love, not being able to control the future, and fading away. And he reassures his young son that while our fears can stop us in our tracks, they are a normal part of life, and through them, we must keep going.

• “A safe space to examine a powerful, often overwhelming feeling.” Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

• “An interestingly evocative story full of deep-seated fears brought to life.” Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal