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Small Stanley’s Big List of Scary Stuff

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Book Synopsis

Small Stanley wants to be BRAVE and FEARLESS like the superheroes in his books, but Stanleys world seems to be stuffed with scary things like earwigs and DOGS and the DARK and getting lost and even Santa…

Then Grandad comes to the rescue. Write a list, he says, and Stanley does! As Stanleys list grows bigger and bigger, find out how Grandad, a wild wind and Stanley’s friends all help Small Stanley to conquer his fears.

A funny, reassuring story about how to deal with worries – perfect for sharing.

Our Review Panel says...

Small Stanley is a little boy with a long list of worries. This book tells his story and assures the reader that, just like Stanley, everyone has worries and that it is always best to share them.

Stanley wants to be fearless and brave but there are too many things that he finds scary, so his grandad suggests he writes a list. The ‘wild wind’ has its own ideas about the list and makes Stanley consider his worries in a different way.

The book is completely charming and is beautifully illustrated by the author, Angie Morgan. She conveys Stanley’s overwhelm perfectly via his huge list of worries (which he carefully writes down and which gets so long that it gets into a tangle around him) and uses the style of text to emphasis and exaggerate words. This makes it a joy to read aloud with a class. The story is uplifting as it ends and offers readers a short checklist to remind them that worries are completely normal and it’s most important to share them, no matter how big or small.

This story would be perfect to read in a Key Stage One or EYFS classroom; the message fits in well to PSHE themes around confidence or worry, as well as underpinning lessons around personal safety.