Scaredy Cali
by Jessica Williams
Illustrated by Nathan Monção
Published by All Write Here Publishing
Review by Michelle Shaw
$11.99 (softcover) ISBN 9781999539702
Cali is afraid of lots of things. She is scared when it is her turn to read in front of the class and she is afraid of the other kids when they play tag. She is even terrified of her aunt’s fluffy little white dog, Muffin. Cali is afraid of so many things that the other kids at school call her Scaredy Cali. She doesn’t like being called that…but she’s too afraid to tell them. But there’s one thing that Cali isn’t scared of. And when an unexpected visitor comes to class, Cali gets the chance to show that she can be brave too.
Scaredy Cali is easy to read with large bright illustrations that burst with expressive character. Most of the illustrations cover both pages. Some of the words are in bold or capitalized or even placed at an angle and the design enhances the flow of the story beautifully. I especially loved Cali’s secret passion and the way it’s illustrated and expressed in the story.
The book is available in softcover, hard cover and e-format.
Jessica’s other children’s books include My koala doesn’t take baths, The Mealtime Monster, You can’t invite a fish to a dance party and Mama’s Cloud (also available in French as Le nuage de Maman.)
Jessica admits she has a head full of persistent stories so we can look forward to many more quirky and delightful characters in the future. See more of her work at www.jessicawilliamsonpaper.com.
