POPPY LOUISE IS NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING

A fearless young girl thinks she can conquer anything, until one moment leaves her quaking.

Poppy Louise, a blonde-ponytailed white tot, is very disappointed in her friends. They would rather put together a puzzle than tell ghost stories, or read a book about space instead of climbing to the roof to get closer to the moon. Even Poppy’s own sister always takes the safe route (or as she calls it, “wise”). But one fateful day, Poppy climbs a tree to rescue a friend’s rocket ship and realizes she may not be as brave as she thinks. Luckily, her sister and friends are there to help. The string of anecdotes has amusing moments (Poppy scoops up spiders with glee, wants to take a nighttime hike to see mountain lions, and presses herself face to face with the alligator at the zoo), but the one-note joke can get a bit stale. Luckily Idle’s illustrations provide the needed energy to propel the page turns. Expressive and exuberant, Poppy shines, even when she is tangled in the bushes with only her hand out and thumb extended to show she is all right.

Budding daredevils just may learn Poppy’s lesson right alongside her.