A Little Bit Braver
Nicola Kinnear
Alison Green Books (Scholastic)

Luna and Logan return with a new fear to overcome. Time was that Logan was a stop-at-home bunny and his pal Luna was full of bravado but now having discovered how exciting adventures can be, he accompanies Luna everywhere. They’d set off daily in search of something new with Luna ensuring that they’d return home before dark.

Then one day, Logan doesn’t want to go home; he’s having way too much fun and anyway they’ve both got torches and something to eat. But Luna suddenly admits that she’s scared of the dark – the kind of dark that’s all around. Logan tells his friend how amazing night is and wants to show why, to which Luna reluctantly agrees, if he does so on their way home. Down the hill they go; Logan points out all the nocturnal creatures but all Luna is interested in is getting home as fast as possible, no matter the sounds around and which creature makes which sound. So fast does she go that Logan suddenly realises that his friend can no longer see nor hear him. Moreover, Logan gets himself hurt, lost and very wet and stinky. ‘Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!’ what could that be?

Happily it’s not a monster but a friend coming to the rescue.

Can their walk home together change the way that Logan feels about the dark? Can Luna help him conquer his nyctophobia?

Many small children have a fear of the dark and Nicola Kinnear’s amusing story with its wonderfully expressive illustrations is ideal for helping them to talk about how they feel and perhaps their fear might even begin to wane.