Scaredy Cat by Heather Gallagher and Anil Tortop

New Frontier, 2018. ISBN 9781925594171
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Pets.
"Have you seen my Scaredy Cat?
He's afraid of this and afraid of that!"
Scaredy Cat's gorgeous covers decorated with shiny hearts and a cute little girl with just a hint of her missing pet are delightful drawcards. Heather Gallagher's fun rhyming refrain is a perfect picture book to share with toddlers and pre-schoolers, and they'll soon join in responding to the rhymes and discovering where scaredy cat is hiding! Take time to observe the scene from the tower, as each of these characters appear throughout this delightful story.
Scaredy Cat's afraid of many things: bees, trees and Granny's super-duper sneeze, muck and quacking ducks. Luckily for this loved pet, the little girl is 'brave like this and BRAVE like that!' She's there to rescue her friend from all the dangerous situations, the sights, the smells and the sounds. Her brave actions rid the beach of pirates and then her karate skills remove the creeping crooks. With a final unexpected twist, she is reunited with her Scaredy Cat.
Anil Tortop's gorgeous digital illustrations provide the visual clues that perfectly underpin Gallagher's rhyming story. His bright palette of colours and designs sweeps across the endpapers and is creatively utilised in each fun scene. Heather Gallagher's sense of rhyme and rhythm and her understanding of the special bond of a child and her pet makes this a joyful story, one to be shared over and over again.
Rhyllis Bignell