Brave Like Me by Karen Henrich

A helpful children’s story about overcoming fear with the help of your friends

Every kid experiences fear, no matter if they’re as big as a bear, small as a mouse, or intelligent as a mystery-solving raccoon. In Karen Henrich’s Brave Like Me, these woodland creatures come to life to teach kids a lesson about how fear can be conquered when you stick together.

All four animals—Benny Bear, Ruby Rabbit, Remy Raccoon, and Mabel Mouse—are asleep in their woodland beds when the story begins. But Benny hears a noise that rouses him from his slumber. When he goes outside to check on the origins of the sound, he finds a figure as large as he is, arms raised in a terrifying position. Benny rolls down the hill in fear, ready to tell his friends of the horrifying encounter.

So Remy Raccoon, a little guy who’s reading mystery novels and never afraid of an investigation, heads out into the woods to find the figure in question. But what he finds isn’t a large terrifying creature but a dark figure exactly the same size as him, making the exact same movements he is.

Soon, Ruby Rabbit and Mabel Mouse do the same. They find something similar but undeniably spooky—a figure their size, moving like they are. Brave Like Me closes with the group of creatures venturing into the woods together, ready to overcome their fears with their buddies by their side.

Brave Like Me is a rhyming picture book with an important, straightforward lesson: We can overcome our fear together. Any kid who opens this book will be rewarded with this deeply relatable moral. They, too, can conquer their fears if they meet them head-on with the help of their community. Being afraid of something you don’t know can be a gateway to learning more about the conquerable inside themselves.

“Sometimes,” said Benny, “things aren’t so clear, but with friends beside you, there’s less to fear.”

Illustrator Jordan Foster brings these lovable creatures—and their big, unknown fear—to vibrant life. Remy Raccoon is drawn with such unique flair, adorned with a classic deerstalker hat, two-toned fur, and big bushy tail. Even the scary figures are illustrated to inspire reader curiosity. Your little one will be captivated by the figure that looks eerily familiar but undeniably haunting. 

The rhymes are at times a bit uneven and can make for some clunky read-aloud moments, but it’s a well-told story with a useful moral nonetheless. The scary figure—which turns out to be their shadows—bring with it a few questions, like where the sun is in these moments to cast shadows like this. But it’s a small hiccup in an otherwise successful story.

Brave Like Me is a swift, important story about overcoming fear and investigating the unknown—with backup. For those parents and guardians who want to show kids that they, too, can be brave, this book is about as useful and illustrative of the lesson as you can ask for.