Why Are We Afraid?

• About the book

From the creators of the highly acclaimed Why Do We Cry? comes this poignant, evocative exploration of the many reasons we feel fear. After a clap of thunder, the lights in Max's house go out. Max's father lights a candle, and Max asks, 'Dad, have you ever been afraid?' His father says everyone is afraid sometimes. Then he slowly and carefully begins to describe the contours of fear. He explains how even small fears can seem to flood everything around us. He enumerates the many different things that can make us afraid: shadows, feeling lonely, losing what we love, not being able to control the future and fading away. And he reassures his young son that while our fears can stop us in our tracks, we must keep going. Award-winning author Fran Pintadera's poetic text together with Ana Sender's stunning imagery make for an entrancing picture book about emotions. It makes clear that fear is a normal part of life and that when we can identify our fears, it's easier to accept them and to move