Hello, friends! Our book today is Find Your Brave: A Coco and Bear Story by Apryl Stott, a sweet tale of friendship and courage.

Pals Bear and Coco – who fans of Stott’s will remember from the author/illustrator’s previous title, Share Some Kindness, Bring Some Light – are a perfect match, even if they are opposites. Bear is big and Coco is little; Bear is shy and Coco is brave. Yet when the pair step up onstage for the final dress rehearsal of their talent show dance performance, Coco sees the small audience and freezes – it seems as though she’s lost her brave! Naturally, her best pal Bear offers to help her get it back, but where should they start? And will they find Coco’s brave in time for the talent show?

Warm and sweet. Stott has a talent for taking highly relatable childhood lessons and exploring them with simple yet resonant stories and charming, fairy-tale illustrations. Bear and Coco’s friendship sets a lovely stage for a classic lesson on being brave, with the resolution stressing that fear and courage often coexist, and one must choose to let their brave be bigger than their scared. The gentle story and artwork strike a perfectly comforting yet encouraging tone for the subject matter, which makes for a lovely read-aloud, It’s a great length for a storytime, and JJ and I absolutely enjoyed it. We definitely recommend this one for a cozy and confidence-boosting read, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved.

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)