Sam Is Never Scared

For Sam, acting like things don't bother him is key to maintaining his image among his classmates. Whether he's going down the slide headfirst or watching scary movies with his eyes wide open, Sam says, ""I'm not scared of anything. At least, that's what all my friends think."" His voice captures his inner battle of managing his own fear while dealing with a best friend who happens to exhibit the same behavior that Max so desperately tries to conceal. But before readers can wonder why Sam would pair himself with a scaredy-cat like Max (who's too afraid to climb trees and would rather play ""boring soccer""), they witness a turn of events. When Sam lets his guard down upon seeing a scary spider, he suddenly worries if Max will divulge the truth to everyone. Robberecht (Angry Dragon, with Goossens) employs a parental vehicle to reinforce the idea of why being afraid is a natural feeling everyone experiences at one time or another, and Goossens's use of pastels help to keep Sam's risk-taking from seeming too frightening. With the added reassurance of a real pal who passes the ultimate test of friendship by keeping his secret safe, Sam finally sees that being true to oneself isn't so scary after all. Ages 3-6.