The Bravest of the Brave (Hardcover)

by Shutta Crum (Author), Tim Bowers (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1–Walking quickly and thinking "brave thoughts," a young skunk makes its way home through a dimly lit forest and is startled by different woodland creatures. The rhyming story turns out to be a counting book, starting with "1 masked face" (a raccoon hiding in the shadows) and ending with "10 stars [that] twinkle while I sleep." After being frightened by ghosts (owls), trappers (spiders), witches (porcupines), and pirates (flying squirrels), the skunk sees "6 strong arms" and gets ready to raise its tail in self-defense, but soon realizes that the limbs belong to family members. Now safe, the traveler relates the tale to an appreciative audience of animals. Bowers creates a pleasant-looking protagonist with a fluffy crown of white fur and a lush white tail. The woods are filled with velvet greens and chocolate browns, reassuring colors that show youngsters that the landscape might be dark, but certainly isn't scary. Pair this story with Lauren Thompson's Little Quack's Bedtime (S & S, 2005) for some tranquil sleepy-time fun.–Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Late one day I hurried home,
Stepping through the wood alone.
It was deep and dim; I could barely see.
But I thought brave thoughts to comfort me.
A Young Skunk heads home through the woods—alone. Or maybe not…
Could there be robbers, or pirates, or ghosts, or trappers in the woods? And is our hero brave enough to keep away?
With bouncy rhymes, charming art, a subtle counting theme, and a surprise ending, this story will entertain and reassure any child who’s ever been afraid.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (January 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375826378
• ISBN-13: 978-0375826375
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #292,427 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't stink, May 6, 2005

By	Jessica Ferguson "threelittlebirds" (Woodbury, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A cute story that follows a little skunk as he bravely counts his way through the deep, dark forest from "1 masked face" to "10 stars" twinkling while he sleeps.

The rhyming text is a bit repetitive but will make it easy for beginning readers and will make a good audience participation book for story times. The title-based plot is lost a little through the second half of the story, but the story still flows nicely.

Accompanying illustrations are cute and the animals are expressive. Even though the skunk is brave in the face of his fears, there are no scary illustrations to turn youngsters off.

Counting and numbers one through ten are covered and often use unusual items.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great illustrations, May 27, 2006

By	Judy (Somerset, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

Beginning with the cover, this book is great for pre-schoolers. The lead character is adorable, the story is cute and the illustrations are the best. It's entertaining and with each picture there are things to talk about with the child.