Poppy Louise Is Not Afraid of Anything

PreS-Gr 2—With an understanding of siblings and their often vast personality differences, this book presents Poppy Louise Littleton and her sister Petunia. Petunia, the "careful sister," thoughtfully considers each of her own actions and is irritated at her sibling's irrational impulsiveness, but fearless Poppy Louise leads a life of imagination and spontaneous adventure. Snakes, monsters, bears, sharks, vampires, mummies, alligators, a speeding roller coaster, a skateboard ride on the stairs, or an exploration of the darkest part of the basement—nothing seems to rattle Poppy as she pushes ahead to embrace life. But her exuberance suddenly flags when she climbs to the top of an exceptionally tall tree. "It's very far away. I like it up here," Poppy insists, hiding her reservations about making her way down. A soft pastel palette allows readers to easily view her delight in all things dangerous and her hesitation when she finally discovers something she actually fears.