May's Brave Day by Lucy Morris

This quiet picture book is an unusual approach to back to school nerves, but a welcome one.

May, the red-haired girl on the cover, has butterflies in her stomach. She sits alone at a kitchen table staring at her breakfast toast and then goes outside to the garden. She remembers other times she was brave - learning to swim, ride a bike, or climb a tree. Then she quietly waits in the soft greens and browns of the garden to find her courage. She looks at bees among the pastel purple and blues of the flowers, at goldfish in the pond, and imagines all the positive things about school popping up like bubbles.

She tries to run and hop until her jitters go away, but finally her mother comes out to tell her it's time to go. She comforts May and reassures her and they slowly walk to school, May still struggling to find her courage. May is welcomed into her classroom and meets a possible friend and slowly the butterflies go away, leaving May at last with room for breakfast and a new friend.

There are some oddities about the book, although most children probably won't notice them. May appears to be going to a private preschool with small classes; but she's tall enough to be eight or nine years old, rides a bike without training wheels, and can swim and skip. Her family (only her mother is pictured or mentioned) have access to a large garden with seemingly unlimited green lawns, a bricked pond, landscaped bushes, multiple trees, and no glimpse of neighbors. There's no early morning rush to get to a bus or wrap-around care, May can wander through the garden trying to calm herself down and then leisurely stroll through town to her school and still be on time - her mother and the other adults seem to be in no hurry. Some of these differences may be attributable to a different culture, but while some things can't reasonably be recreated, I hope some parents (and kids) will think about some of the strategies that can.

Going outside, slowing down, and letting kids take things at their own pace can be a challenge in our busy lives, but it can definitely help anxious children like May. This gentle story offers a quiet solution to the anxiety of trying new things and a happy ending as May manages her first day of school.

Verdict: This may or may not be relevant to your audiences; The vast majority of families I know don't have the leisure or luxury of a relaxed morning routine, but some things could be adopted like going outside and slowing things down a little bit for kids who need more time to try new things.

ISBN: 9781547602902; Published August 2023 by Bloomsbury; Review copy provided by publisher