Sheila Rae, the Brave

Mouse Books

by Kevin Henkes

Sheila Rae, the Brave   is a warm, humorous, and loving story of sibling sympathy and support. Just because Sheila Rae is older, she doesn't always know better! This classic picture book about overcoming fear is written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse , Owen , and Kitten's First Full Moon. "I am very brave," Sheila Rae said, patting herself on the back. She wasn't afraid of anything—not thunder, not lightning, not the big black dog at the end of the block. And when she wanted to walk home a new way and Louise wouldn't, she called her sister a scaredy-cat and set out alone. But all the bravado in the world failed to help when Sheila Rae found herself lost. Luckily, her sister was not far behind. "Children will love it."— School Library Journal

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Family, Fiction, Fantasy, School

32 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 1987

About the author

Kevin Henkes is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. As an illustrator he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon (2004). Two of his books were Newbery Medal Honor Books, Olive's Ocean in 2004 and The Year of Billy Miller in 2014. His picture book Waiting was named both a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and a Geisel Honor Book. It was only the second time any author has won that combination of awards.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheila Rae was one brave mouse! Unlike her younger sister Louise, she wasn't afraid of the dark, of thunder and lightning, or of big black dogs. She liked to pretend that the trees were monsters that needed to be vanquished, and enjoyed riding her bicycle with no hands, while keeping her eyes closed. But when Sheila Rae announced one day that she was going to walk home from school using a different route, scorning Louise's timidity, she soon discovered that there was something she was afraid of after all. Luckily, Louise was there to lend a hand...

Another of Kevin Henkes' marvelous "Mouse Tales," Sheila Rae, the Brave is an engaging tale of a young mouse who learns that everyone feels fear, at one point or another, and that sometimes, those who seem like "scaredy-cats" on the outside, can draw upon hidden stores of courage. As always, I enjoyed Henkes' spot-on depiction of the childhood experience - as one of three sisters myself, I particularly appreciated that this charming tale concerned two sisters - and found his illustrations adorable. Definitely one I would recommend, especially to young children who are very timid themselves, or who scorn the timid.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an old standby that I read many times to and with kids in the early 90s. I just reread it so I could review it here on Goodreads.

I see why it was so popular and why it was so much fun for me to read. All the things Sheila Rae isn’t afraid of are things kids are going to be afraid of at times, and what eventually frightens Sheila Rae is a fear with which every child can identify. Sheila Rae and her sister Louise show kids that everyone is sometimes brave and everyone is scared sometimes too.

The illustrations are adorable and had me smiling throughout.

This is a wonderful book to read with siblings, particularly older and young sisters.

It’s done in play so I should not take offense, but with this reading I was slightly taken aback (and admit I was a tad disturbed) when Sheila Rae growled at stray dogs and bared her teeth at stray cats, scaring both. Otherwise, she is a very appealing character.

I’ve just recently been enjoying Henke’s books and had forgotten that this was one of them, and one that I enjoyed first nearly two decades ago.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't quite as touched by this one as I usually am by Henkes' work, but it's still quite worthy of a read! Here we have the big sister, Sheila Rae, who is not afraid of anything. And we have the little sister who is always looking up to Sheila Rae--and always in her shadow. Until, one day, Sheila Rae IS afraid. And it doesn't seem there is anyone around to help her. Oh, but there is...!

Definitely a good sibling read ;-)

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

An overconfident mouse gets a comeuppance when her misguided bravery gets her into a pickle. Thank goodness for little guardian angels.

I find Sheila Rae rather annoying, so I am unable to enjoy the book, but my daughter liked it well enough when she was a tot. She liked all the books in Kevin Henkes' mouse universe.

[Veronique Stravato · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made me cringe. The things Sheila Rae did were rarely brave. Mostly inconsiderate or dangerous. I don't think many children would understand why stepping on sidewalk crack would make you brave. A bit of a dated concept. Not a book my son could connect to.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this all by myself today. I liked how Sheila Rae thought *she* was brave, but her sister was really the one who was bravest.

[Ally McCulloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how the book turned everything on its head, although the character's personalities seemed to switch. It was interesting, but didn't make much sense. However, I thought it was great and am adding Kevin Henkes to my list of authors to check out.

[Amanda Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute book about a brave little mouse who stands up to anything, until she gets lost. Her sister who Sheila Rae believes is not brave, comes to the rescue and saves her. I like this book because it reinforces the theme that anyone and everyone is brave not just in the way you are. We need to look at everyone as unique and as their own person. We need not compare. I think this book does a great job of opening up that topic to children so you can start discussing it.

[Q_Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet,convincing personified animal story! A lot of what Henkes does is subtle but carries you through the story: the text is laid out with two or three illustrations on a page when he wants to move you along in a quick pace and then full page when there is something to linger on.
He hooked me to the premise of her being brave when he starts the story showing her standing on a chair to kiss a spider suspended from the ceiling! He does so much with tilt of a head, facial expressions that help you embrace the mice as real people as well as their actions - little sister Louise covering her eyes with her boths, peeking out from under a tablecloth.
As Sheila Rae continuously proves how brave she is by stepping on cracks on the sidewalk, riding her bike with her eyes closed, etc. her little sister just looks on. Until Sheila Rae decides to take a new way home from school and takes off, after accusing her sister of always being a scaredy-cat ("am not, whispered Louise."). She does all sort of brave looking things: snarling at dogs, walking backwards, until she find herself lost. But throughout it, Henkes shows us the presence of her little sister who has followed her after all, hiding in bushes sometimes just her bowed pony tail showing. When Sheila Rae calls out for her parents and her sister, the sister jumps down from a tree with the text above the picture and then below it when she hits the ground and comforts her sister. Louise then leads the way home mimicing all the things Sheila Rae did snarling etc. until they arrive home. And both proclaim the other brave and walk into the house backwards with their eyes closed.
Intended for preschoolers through eight year olds, this story could lead off a discussion about being brave, what does it really look like, about caring for one another, listing and counting (preschoolers, kindergarten first grade) all the different things that Sheila did that was brave, noticing where Louise was hiding and how did they know? alternative endings, looking at how Henkes moved the story along, what other things could he have Sheila doing to show she was brave?

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sheila Rae, the Brave” is a children’s book written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes and it is about how a brave little mouse named Sheila Rae tells everyone that she is not afraid of anything, at least until she gets lost in the woods when she tried to find a new way home. “Sheila Rae, the Brave” is an unforgettable classic that children both young and old will cherish for many years to come.

Kevin Henkes has brilliantly written and illustrated the charming story about Sheila Rae showing everyone how brave she is and how her younger sister Louise eventually showed her that she does not have to be brave by herself. Kevin Henkes makes the theme of the story worthwhile since Sheila Rae claims that she is not afraid of anything and even calls Louise a scaredy cat because Louise was always afraid of everything. But, when Sheila Rae is lost in the woods, it is her sister Louise who comes to the rescue, proving that the power of love is enough courage for anyone. Kevin Henkes’ illustrations are colorful and cute as the main characters are mice, which is evident in most of his books. The illustration that I loved the most was the illustration of Sheila Rae and Louise hugging each other after Sheila Rae gets lost in the woods since it shows how much the two care for each other, despite Sheila Rae calling her sister a coward.

“Sheila Rae, the Brave” is a wonderful children’s book about the true meaning of courage and how love for a family member can bring out the courage inside of you. I would recommend this book to children of all ages since even the older children would enjoy Sheila Rae’s bravery being displayed throughout this book.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - This was another audio book which is fast becoming a favorite way for Julia to read. After reading a few of Henkes' books, including Chrysanthemum, I knew we had to find more. Finding more in the form of audio books made it that much better for us right now. Since Henkes is a local author we're lucky enough to have a library stocked with all of his books, in audio and print.
Julia and I both agree that we liked Chrysanthemum and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse better than Sheila Rae, the Brave but this is almost as good.
Sheila Rae is a pretty cool main character and her adventure here is nothing less than exciting. Henkes did a good job with Sheila Rae - it would have been easy to have her come off as a snooty brat with the whole 'I'm so brave' bit but Henkes walked a fine line and I never had that impression even once. Quite a feat since brats, snooty and otherwise, are in my top five of irksome things.
The illustrations, which if I'm correct are also done by Henkes, are great too. I love the white background and the use of the squares for each colorful water color illustration. That part is a definite win.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a point of brave and there is a point of stupid...I don't think Shelia Rae is all that brave, she is kind of tempting fate. She is a little reckless. Why not just play with fire..."I am fearless" Play chicken on a train track "I am brave" I like the elements of overcoming fears, but her 'bravery' gets her in trouble. I don't think the author meant to portray that careless element but it is there. It is suppose to be "Brave" this book is more about being careless and I wouldn't growl at dogs...that is just itching to be bitten... so not overly impressed...still gave it a pretty good score...but not a must read!

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book to my preschoolers and skipped over several parts. When we were done, we had a discussion about the book and the kids were confused. Why was Sheila making these choices? Snapping off tree branches and growling and hissing at random animals? Tying up a friend with rope? Calling others scaredy cats? Not really brave actions.

I probably sound super conservative writing this review, but I promise I’m not. This just isn’t a good book for preschoolers who are learning expectations for behavior.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, my niece and nephew did like this book, but I don't think it was really one that grabbed them terribly much. I really enjoyed the book, however, as it made me think about how much my younger sister leads me through my moments of self-doubt and fear after I've gotten myself in over my head. A very nice "sisters" book.

[Rants and Bants · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this from my childhood. I used to think Sheila Rae was a badass xD It's a cute little story about two sisters who are there for each other, and each has her own strengths and weaknesses.

[Cana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mommy says: Kevin Henkes is just dandy. Here's a story about a very brave big sister who learns just how brave her timid little sister is. Younger siblings will love this.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. My 2nd graders seemed to enjoy it.

[Rachael Belt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't see myself reading this one to the kids again. I didn't care for the mouse's attitude and snapping off fingers, imaginary or not, seems a bit brutal to read to a toddler.

[Abbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sheila Rae is reckless not brave. Her sister is better described as a kind and observant character with well honed spacial skills.

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for storytime about being brave with the bonus theme of sisterly love.

[Hailey Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book, the main character, a mouse named Sheila Rae, was not afraid of anything. The book moved through various examples in which Sheila was not scared of many common fears such as the dark or big dogs. She was not scared of stepping on cracks or authority figures such as the principal. Sheila Rae was the pinnacle of a brave young girl; however, the book went on to display that even the bravest people get scared sometimes. When Sheila Rae decided to walk home from school one day, she felt that she was being brave, but when she realized that she was lost, she got scared. Although she felt helpless, Sheila had her sister by her side who reassured her that she was, in fact, not lost. In this book, the main character is a mouse. For children, the mouse has no race; therefore, it may be easier for children to step into the sliding glass door of the story and mirror themselves as Sheila. The sliding glass door occurs when children feel they are able to step into the story and empathize with the characters (Sims Bishop 1). For many children, they may be able to empathize with Sheila and the fact that, like them, she too gets scared sometimes. This book is a great way to show children that even the bravest of people around them get scared sometimes. They should be able to step into the story and picture themselves alongside Sheila in her story to see that it is okay to have fear, but it takes bravery to stand up and face one’s fears.

[Gaby Vallarino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Sheila Rae was a girl that thought that she wasn’t afraid of anything. She did everything she could in order to show-off to people that she was brave and fearless. Her little sister Louise thought Sheila Rae was invincible and the bravest, while Sheila Rae thought the contrary of her little sister. One day, Sheila Rae decided to take a new path to go home from school, but she got lost. After crying in sorrow because she was lost, the person she never expected was the one that saved her and guided her back home.

Theme: The possible major themes of the story are to always remember to be humble and to never underestimate someone.

Personal Response: I loved this book because it has a great meaning, but in my personal opinion I was astonished of how show-off Sheila Rae was towards her little sister. Instead of encouraging her sister to be brave like her, she undervalued her. I liked that at the end Sheila Rae was able to change her perspective of her sister.

Why I recommend this book: I recommend this book because it shows a wonderful lesson to children, to always be and stay humble towards people. Sometimes children want to feel superior than others and try to show-off. This book teaches children that you can be the best at something, but always remember to stay humble.

[Kinley Schnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: There was a girl named Shelia Rae, and she was very brave. She wasn't scared to do anything! Her little sister though was scared of a lot of things and always told her sister how brave she thought she was. Until one day, Shelia Rae was a little too brave. She went to walk home from school and got lost! She was scared and started crying until she heard her sister say she knew where they were. Her brave little sister leads the way home acting just as brave as Shelia Rae.

Review: I personally loved this book. I thought there were many worldly things you could compare it to as a child. For example, being scared of the dark, or sounds you hear. I really enjoyed the way the author had the character be strong and brave in the beginning, but then at the end had to be vulnerable. I think this is a great book with many lessons.

Classroom application: I think that I could use this to help my students tell me what they think they are good at and then what they are scared to try and do. I could also tie it into letting other people help you when you are scared because I think in our generations we view being scared as weak when really these are the situations we need to be able to lean on people and trust them to help us.

[Jillian Cryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! Even as an adult I loved to read it. One of the biggest messages I got from the book was that no matter how big and tough you think you are, there are still things that scare you. In the book, Sheila Rae says she can do anything because she is very brave and never scared. She says she can step on cracks, walk in the dark and do anything, she is very boastful about it to her friends and even makes fun of her little sister for being scared of the same things she is. Then one night she wanders too far where she gets lost and is scared, she sister comes to her rescue and leads her home. The book talks about being brave, which is a great quality to have, but when you boast about it and try to make people jealous or make fun of them because they aren't as brave, or this or that as you, it can turn into a bad thing. I would teach my students in my classroom to be brave and not to be scared, but to be friendly about it. Overall, I suggest this book to everyone because it is a cute read.

[Jaynee Sant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheila Rae is very, very brave. She isn't afraid of spiders, she steps on cracks, she isn't scared of the dark. One day while she's walking home, Sheila Rae gets lost and starts to get scared and doesn't know what to do. All of the sudden, Louise, Sheila Rae's sister shows up and knows the way home. While walking back, Louise steps on cracks, barks back at dogs and is brave just like Sheila Rae.

This is a cute story! I would use CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.3 : Describe how characters respond to major events and challenges with this book. Before reading, we would do a KWL chart about what my students know about the word "brave" and what they still want to learn. I would have some students give examples of when they have been brave in the past. After reading, we would discuss what they learned about being brave. Next we would discuss how Sheila Rae responded to her challenge when she got lost and if she was brave at that time. Overall, this is a cute book and their are lots of opportunities to connect it to curriculum.

[Victoria Swisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheila Rae is an incredibly brave, young mouse who is not afraid of anything; not the dark, not thunderstorms, not even stepping on cracks in the sidewalk. One day, she is feeling so brave that she decides to take a new way home and ends up getting lost. Realizing she doesn't know the way home, she becomes very scared until her litter sister (who Sheila realizes might even be more brave than she is) finds her and shows her the way home.
I thought this book was very cute and I really enjoyed reading it. I love how brave and confident Sheila believes she is and how, no matter how brave she is, there are still things that scare her, but she can face and work through them anyway. This book would be very easy for children to relate to. I would use this book for a read-aloud and have the children talk about what makes them brave, what scares them, and things that would help them face the things that scare them.

[Nancy Roach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes even the bravest of us can be scared!! Sheila Rae was not afraid of anything, she would tell herself "I am very brave." She would giggle when the principal walked by, stepped on every crack on the side walk and ride her bike without holding the handle bars. One day Louise her sister says that you are to brave for me. Sheila Rae decides to take a new route home and starts off being fearless and then realized that nothing looked familiar. She was scared and then Louise comes out of nowhere and says she knows the way home. This is a cute story, I think it shows that sometimes the scared ones at the beginning can become brave. I just love Kevin Henkes books so much and I enjoy reading them, and this is one I did not know about. This would be good to have in your classroom to learn about being brave and sometimes you cannot do it all on your own.

[Katy Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! The illustrations throughout the book are fantastic! I love the way Henkes incorporates Sheila Rae’s sister Louise in almost every picture. This allows the reader to see that Louise is following Sheila Rae. I also love how the roles between Sheila Rae and Louise are reversed at the end! This makes for an interesting ending to the book.

I love the message this book brings to the readers. It shows that everyone is afraid of something and that is okay! Just because a child is scared of something does not mean he/she is a scaredy cat. I think having children draw one thing they are scared of and one thing they are not scared of would be a great activity to do. When finished, they could share their drawings with their family or class. This activity not only goes along with the book, but it also lets family members and students learn about one another.

[Kaci Noyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about a young mouse, Sheila Rae, who believes that she is not afraid of anything. One day, when she decides to take her sister a different way home, she ends up getting lost. Realizing she is afraid, Sheila Rae loses all hope, until her sister finds the bravery to get them both home.

I really enjoyed reading this book because I feel that the characters are very relatable. I thought it was funny that in the beginning pictures, Sheila Rae's sister was always hiding in the background or looking terrified, then when the roles were reversed, it was the other way around. This would be a very cute and fun book to read aloud.

This book could be taught to the class as a lesson that it is okay to be afraid sometimes. Every once in a while we need to depend on the people around us to be brave, and not just depend on ourselves.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shelia Rae is adventurous and not scared of anything. Her sister Louis is the total opposite. One day Shelia Rae goes a different way home from school when she realizes that she is lost and not as brave as she thinks. She wonders what she will do until someone unexpected shows up to save the day.

I truly enjoyed this book. The story shows that it is okay that we aren't brave at all times and to depend on others when we feel scared. The illustrations are very well done and really helps the story flow.

I would use this story when talking about bravery. I would use it for critical thinking and ask my students what they would do in certain situations. It is a great teaching tool to teach students that is okay to ask for help in times of need and that we do not need to act brave at all times. This will also show that everyone gets scared at times, even those who act like they won't.