Davis's feisty, precocious pigtailed heroine, the star of I Hate to Go to Bed!, is back to confront—and ultimately overcome—a triumvirate of fears. There's the blue dog next door, a rival to Clifford in size, that she's dubbed Ono ("Because every time I see him I say, OH, NO!"); a duo of monsters who hang out by the picket fence; and some snakes who live in her closet (so she never opens the door). "This is NOT a good way to live," she admits. Assuming the persona and pointy black hat of a witch ("because witches aren't afraid of anything") gives the girl enough gumption to conquer her fears, and she soon discovers that, for example, the closet snakes are really just a tangle of shoelaces. The text sometimes gets wordier than it needs to be; the narrative power of Davis's acrylic cartoon panels carry much of the story forward. Replete with over-the top angles, operatic expressions and giddy fluorescent hues, they cue readers early on that—despite the magnitude of the girl's anxieties—she's no shrinking violet. The reassuring ending demonstrates that one can topple one's fears if he or she can summon the courage to face them. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)
