Fearless (Kelly Canby, Fremantle)

Kelly Canby’s Fearless will delight and reassure children, parents and teachers with its hopeful message that fear need not be overwhelming or permanent. Bea Ware is frightened of everything, moving through life feeling like a “frayed knot”. Her friend, Annie Venture, by contrast, seems to breeze through each day, and Bea is in awe of her apparent fearlessness. Yet Annie is not without fear; she simply faces it little by little, learning to fear less with each small step. Following Annie’s lead, Bea begins to relax and try things she has long avoided. As her confidence grows, her world starts to brighten, and many of her fears are revealed as unfounded. Canby’s exquisite illustrations enhance the book’s powerful message. Layered images and a restrained palette of yellow, red and blue vividly convey Bea’s anxiety and Annie’s joy. As the story unfolds, Bea moves from a dark, static existence into a world increasingly full of colour and movement. Fearless is rich with visual gags, literary language and puns. The story culminates in an image of Bea sitting atop a huge pile of worries, yet looking up and ahead, as her frayed knot of fears begins to unravel – a moment that perfectly encapsulates Canby’s warm, gentle approach to this tricky issue.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Merril Darling is a freelance book reviewer based in Melbourne. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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