I Feel Safe

Description

Thunder cracks. Lightning flashes. The lights go out. But Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa help a young girl feel safe. What makes you feel safe? The storm is very scary! Then Grandma lights candles, Grandpa plays his guitar, Mommy makes cocoa, Daddy brings out some biscuits . . . and hugs are shared by all. But where are the cats, Frankie and JoJo? Have they run out of the house and into the storm?. The family searches high and low and in and out. When hope is gone, the cats emerge from their hiding place. All are safe. The last sentence in the book asks, "What makes YOU feel safe?" inviting caregivers and children to a conversation about coping with fears. David McPhail is a beloved author-illustrator of best-selling children's books and winner of a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. Pouring his heart and soul into the illustrations for this book, David McPhail has created a dozen ink-and-watercolor mini-masterpieces in jewel-like tones. The character in this story was inspired by David McPhail's stepchild, whom he has always wanted to keep safe.

David McPhail is a beloved author-illustrator of many best-selling picture books, board books, and novelty books, includingWynken, Blynken, and Nod by Eugene W. Field, I Love You Because You're You by Liza Baker, and Sisters, which he also wrote. Edward and the Pirates, which he wrote as well as illustrated, was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. He has also received a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor, a Children's Choice Award, a Parent's Choice Award, a Children's Booksellers Choice Award, and many state awards. His books for Holiday House include Bad Cat, I Am Just Right, and Sick Day.

"McPhail sets the vignettes against pale lilac and teal backdrops, softening the edges of the frames with a fuzzy, airbrushed effect. The refrain is calm and grounding, while the first-person point of view conveys closeness. . . . Storms can be scary, but this story wraps you in a warm hug."-Kirkus Reviews "Young readers will recognize the storm's impact through McPhail's use of line-curtains blowing in the window, hair flowing back with the force of the wind. . . . The text, dominated by simple sentences and sight words, make this story ideal for sharing. . . . An excellent addition to early elementary collections, perfect for sharing, starting conversations, or creating activities. "-School Library Journal "McPhail's softly focused illustrations atmospherically evoke the stormy night world. . . . A warm, reassuring picture book about weathering storms together."-Booklist "McPhail makes expert use of ink and watercolors in cool tones to bring a sense of peacefulness to the story. . . . A soothing read for young children and their caregivers, and an opportunity to discuss uncertainty, fear, and solutions for comfort."-The Horn Book "There's an ever-deepening, lullaby-like rhythm at work in the concise, unadorned prose, and single-plane pen, ink, and watercolor art supplies soft textures and colors that radiate a subtle glow. . . . Storms come and go, but love is constant in this portrait of familial closeness."-Publishers Weekly