Nothing Is Scary with Harry

PreS-Gr 1—This picture book follows a young girl Katie, and her adventures through life with her blanket Harry. Harry makes things like going to the doctor, dancing on stage, and jumping into the pool, less scary. Katie is told multiple times that she is too old to still be carrying Harry around, but is adamant that she is not, because Harry makes her brave. Harry continues to be a part of Katie's life as she grows older and keeps him close. Unfortunately this sweet plot idea has poor execution and misses the mark. The illustrations are detailed and appealing, carrying the book as far as it can. The rhyming tempo changes so rapidly that makes reading this book out loud challenging. The text layout further complicates this tempo, splitting up text that should be read together. While the ending wraps up in a satisfying way for adults, the entire idea is one that children cannot yet relate to. In fact, there are multiple sentiments/words that will likely go over children's heads, such as "although he's only held together by memories and fray" throughout the book.