George in the Dark

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 8, 2015

Review

The story of George, who is a very brave kid...during the day. At night, George has a normal, but rather large, fear of the dark. His parents have lost patience with him and tell him to go to sleep, and he would, but he has lost his bear. When George sees that bear is across the room, he must conquer his fear and rescue bear, thereby regaining his courage. The pictures, with a mostly black & red palette, are quite good, from the cover that shows just George's (and bear's) eyes peeking out from the covers, to the acts of bravery that set up the duality of George's personality, to the terrifying bedroom where ordinary toys and laundry hampers turn into ghouls and monsters. Young readers will be engaged with this book and will cheer for George when he finally rescues his friend. Books that do a nice job handling common childhood problems are welcome in many collections, and though not adding anything new to the genre, this is a worthwhile title.

Overall Book Score: good