Sheila Rae believes that she is not afraid of anything. She steps on cracks, walks backward with her eyes closed, and teases her sister for her fears. But when Sheila Rae gets lost one day, she discovers maybe, just maybe, she isn't quite as brave as she thought she was.
November 3, 1988
Henkes's book is a table-turning tale in which fearless mouse Sheila Rae gets lost and looks to her timid little sister to lead the way home. Ages 3-8.
August 17, 1987
A mouse both boastful and fearless, Sheila Rae decides to go home from school by taking a new route. She walks backwards with her eyes closed, growls at dogs and cats, climbs trees, turns new corners and crosses different streetsand ends up in the middle of unfamiliar territory. Lost and sad, she thinks of home, her parents and her timid sister Louise. As soon as she cries for help, who should appear but Louise, who swings down from a tree branch and saves Sheila Rae from harm. She had followed her older sister, and she knows the way back. Everything that happens here is completely credible, hence appealing to kids' intuitionsmost get carried away sometimes and learn their limitations the hard way. Henkes's illustrations show rainbow-colored forests, mellow graffiti-scrawled fences and one very confident character, Sheila Rae. But little Louise steals the show. Ages 5-8.
April 22, 1996
The mouse heroine of Henkes's pitch-perfect comedy doesn't frighten easily--she even growls at stray dogs. But when she gets lost, it's her "scaredy cat" sister who helps her find the way home. Ages 4-up.