Scaredy Cali

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.

Author Jessica Williams was born and raised in BC but now lives in Saskatchewan with her husband, daughter, a small furry dog and some fish. She says that books held a place of importance in her home growing up and it’s those stories that inspired her to write. “[I loved] stories with memorable characters, stories with captivating illustrations full of emotion and character, stories filled with nonsense, stories with beautiful rhymes. Books imprint themselves in a childhood and create lasting ties to emotions and memories.”

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.

Illustrator Nathan Monção’s love for art and drawing began at a very young age sketching on notebooks, magazines and even the walls! He now works as a freelance 2D artist illustrating children’s books, short comics and concept art for clients in many countries. See more of his work at www.behance.net/monsffect

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR ONLINE FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM