When I Was a Child: I Was Always Afraid – Michael Cascio...

When I Was a Child: I Was Always Afraid – Michael Cascio

Synopsis:

Are you afraid when you go to bed? This book will put good thoughts in your head.

Review:

When I Was a Child: I Was Always Afraid by Michael Cascio is a wonderful children’s book about conquering fear. The book talks about many things that even adults have been afraid of. – unexplainable noises coming from other rooms, lurking spooky shadows, monsters under the bed, scary silhouettes and sounds of trees, and sometimes thunder, outside the window, Children’s minds can get carried away with imagining all kinds of horrifying things. Thankfully, Michael Cascio has thoughtfully addressed the problem by writing an excellent little book for children to learn how to overcome and face their fears.

In When I Was a Child: I Was Always Afraid, we have a little boy that is dealing with the issue of fear. His devoted father takes him by the hand and together they explore the house with the lights on and see that there is nothing scary there. They look under the bed, and surprise, they find lost toys – no monsters. They go outside and look at the beautiful tree and its branches. That is all it was, just a tree. The boy is relieved, and by examining the things he was afraid of, he faced his feelings of fear and conquered them.

The father’s wisdom and willingness to help his child is an important message to parents. Children need to be able to approach their parents and talk about their emotions and fears. By not brushing off his son’s fear by just saying, “there is nothing to be afraid of,” he actively and lovingly helped his son in a real tangible way by showing him that what the boy feared was just normal things around the house. He taught him how to put good thoughts in his head when he became afraid.

This book is written in poetry form with delightful rhyming verses that flow beautifully. The illustrations are vivid and irresistible, as they show the emotion behind them. They start out a bit darker in the beginning, but as the pages are turned they are lit up and cheerful. A perfect depiction of what fear looks like to a child, without being too frightening. The characters in the pictures are actually cute and winsome.

This is a timeless book that should be in libraries, and on every child’s bookshelf, to be read to at bedtime to diminish any fears. Praise for Michael Cascio’s, When I Was a Child: I Was Always Afraid. Get a copy for every child in your life. They will be comforted, delighted and inspired.