This book is about a girl who is trying to be brave and find her courage when moving to a new home. ( )

When You Are Brave by Pat Zietlow Miller is a book about facing your fears that make you feel small and alone. It's about finding your inner light to take risks and try things that make you experience the joys that life has to offer.

I like the art, but the self-help hogwash in the text feels like a particularly bad string of aphorism-laden Facebook posts. Ugh. ( )

Sometimes the world is full of things we don’t want to do. That’s exactly how a little girl feels as her family packs up and moves to a new home. Will she like the new house? Will she make new friends? Will the neighbors be friendly?

The little girl worries about the all the unknowns as her family drives to their destination. Along the way she remembers other times that seemed scary, but turned out alright. Little by little she realizes that deep inside of her there has always been a little bit of courage when she needed it the most. Once you know where to find it, courage is always there for you.

The Bottom Line: While the beautiful illustrations in this picture book put the focus on a family moving to a new house, the text can easily apply to many situations. The thoughtful lesson of finding the courage within yourself to tackle things you don’t want to do shines through. Children in grades PreK – 1 will appreciate the stunning illustrations, and the powerful message in this picture book will encourage kids to believe in themselves.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. ( )

Though the text is general enough to apply to any situation in which bravery is needed, the illustrations tell a specific story: that of a girl whose family is packing up and moving to someplace new. In the back of a car, she clutches a scrapbook of pictures and looks nervously out the window until they arrive at their destination. New neighbors welcome them and help them carry their things inside.

"Because once you find your courage, it's easy to use again and again.
The next time life seems scary or you start something new,
you can remember when you were brave.
And then, you can stand straight and walk tall." ( )