The Best Kids’ Books About Mental Health of 2025
Child Mind Institute (article here)
A hilarious story about what it really means to be brave.
Meet Vera the Brave — La Valiente! She dives like a dolphin, climbs like a mountain goat, and defends her amigos like un león. But she trembles when she hears her teacher say, “We’re going to Rocking Roller Coasters!” Oh no! Vera tries to convince the teacher her plan is not the best, but Ms. Rodríguez does not change her mind about the field trip. Now if Vera can’t face her fears, everyone will discover she’s not that brave after all! But what if being brave is much more than she expected?
Vera La Valiente Is Scared redefines what it means to be brave. It’s okay to show your feelings and fears! And maybe, with some help, you can even face some of them.
Vera on the Media
| Cover Reveal with Vivian Kirkfield | SLJ Review |
| Interview Teazurs Blog | |
| Kid Lit Meet N Greet with Lori Keating |
Reviews
| SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Many fun similes could easily be worked into a lesson on expressive language. Exuberantly colorful illustrations perfectly capture both Vera’s facial expressions and the dizzying, swirling curved lines of the ride Vera imagines. VERDICT A relatable story about bravery and emotional honesty that will have wide appeal. | What a relatable story about a child who is very brave except when it comes to ONE THING (roller-coasters!) Siqueira does a great job keeping the story funny as Vera works through her fear and then ultimately admits it with a hugely positive outcome. By Gabriela Belt. |
| What a fantastic SEL book to open a discussion about facing fears and what it means to be brave. Vera La Valiente is Scared features a child who is afraid to go on a class trip to an amusement park and feels pressured by her friends to ride the roller coaster. The illustrations do a wonderful job of communicating so much of the emotion in this book. The Spanish peppered throughout is done with such precision it lights up on each page. A must have for any cautious child who needs reassurance that everyone feels apprehension at one time or another. By Debbie Adamson |
Ana - The Teacher and the Writer 