Dystychiphobia, phagophobia, good old acrophobia: everybody's afraid of something—although it does seem that Gravett's (Orange Pear Apple Bear
) winsome mouse protagonist has cornered the market on anxieties. Wittily assuming the format of a scrapbook or diary that is filled in by Little Mouse, this book exhorts, “You too can overcome your fears through the use of art!” A virtually encyclopedic list of fears follows, each on its own page, with plenty of space allotted for Little Mouse's response. Gravett augments these expansive collaged spreads with interactive goodies (a flap, a gatefold, a tip-in of an entire map). For example, when Little Mouse scrawls, “I don't like being alone, or in the dark,” readers will learn from glancing at the upper-right corner that this feeling is called “Isolophobia (Fear of solitude).” The opposite page is pitch-black, and Little Mouse eyes it nervously. Other moments are more purely amusing: “aichmophobia” (the fear of knives) ushers in references to “Three Blind Mice.” Whether or not they choose to face their own fears, kids will feel that a chord has been struck—and they'll savor spicing up their budding vocabularies. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)
