A six-year-old must walk across a large field and near woods to get to her school bus stop, and in Singing Away the Dark by Caroline Woodward and Julie Morstad (Simply Read Books, 2011), she pushes away her fears by singing as loudly as she can. Although my four-year-old son was a bit concerned that she was by herself, I felt the story was a good reminder that we can find solutions to eliminate or lessen our fears.
The text is rhythmic and rhyming, but not overly sing-song or formulaic, perfect for the singing tone of the girl’s message. The illustrations (paintings) bring the early morning rural world to life. Â
