Shelly Higgs (text) and Francesca Costa (illustrator), Poppy’s Monster, Starfish Bay Publishing, February 2025, 24 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760362188
Poppy’s fear monster is taking up a lot of space in her head, pushing the good thoughts away. It lurks in the shadows, making her heart beat faster and her legs wobble. Until one day, when Poppy visualises her monster into existence and realises it’s just as scared as she is.
The author’s creativity shines in this clever debut title, a colourful take on a child’s loud and busy inner world. Written during Covid, the story is based on the experience of one of Shelly’s children.
There are many things to like about this book: how it normalises worries; how Poppy takes charge of her situation; how the focus is on managing fears rather than overcoming them. Shelly’s impressive arts background (actor, theatre and film director, dramaturg, award-winning photographer) drives this nuanced look at the silent worries that children grapple with. Costa’s vibrant illustrations pop with plenty of white space, neatly extending the text.
Poppy’s Monster joins the ranks of excellent recent titles about overcoming fears like Raymund and the Fear Monster by Megan Higginson and Ester de Boer, The Scared Book by Debra Tidball, Courageous Lucy by Paul Russell and Cara King, and The Colour Monster series by Anna Llenas. These titles demonstrate the value of picture books to help children process and manage a range of complex emotions, including fear.
A warm and wonderful debut that will help readers ages 3-8 be brave, grow strong and learn to accept, and live with, the things that scare them, no matter when and how they crop up.
Reviewed by Maura Pierlot
Read an interview with author Shelly Higgs here.
