I Feel Safe

PreS-Gr 2–All is quiet as a young child and two furry companions sleep soundly in their bed—that is, until a thunderstorm rolls through and wakes up the whole crew with a start! The thunder gives the young girl such a scare, but her mother is right there to comfort her with a huge hug. Throughout the night her parents and grandparents look for other ways to help her feel safe: watching the storm together on the porch, hosting a storm party. Just as the young girl starts to feel better, she remembers her two four-legged friends and wonders where they could’ve gone. A family search reveals two scared pets, ready to rejoin the household. Starting with the front matter, readers see the storm before the heroine, providing an opportunity for prediction. Young readers will recognize the storm’s impact through McPhail’s use of line—curtains blowing in the window, hair flowing back with the force of the wind. Different shades of blue are often used to emphasize the shadows created by the storm and other sources of light. The text, dominated by simple sentences and sight words, make this story ideal for sharing, and McPhail extends this by addressing readers directly: “What makes you feel safe?”