This is one in our Double Scoop Sundae series featuring a pair of thematically-related books and ideas for teachers and library program developers seeking ways to extend storytime with them.
As a new year begins, it often offers children and adults a fresh invitation to explore, grow, and try things they may have never done before. For young readers, especially, new experiences can feel exciting and intimidating at the same time. Whether it’s learning a new skill, or stepping into an unfamiliar place, picture books have a unique way of meeting those complex feelings with warmth and reassurance, showing that bravery doesn’t always have to mean being fearless, but willing to try. The two picture books featured here gently celebrate the courage it takes to step into the unknown, making them perfect companions for children as they face the new beginnings and possibilities in the year ahead.
First up in our courageous couplet is the heartwarming story from Barefoot Books about a young boy named Kwesi, who shares with his grandmother his fear of the water. Kwesi loves spending time at the lake with his friends, but he does not know how to swim and is much too scared to try. To his surprise, Nana Ruby tells him that she is also afraid of the water and never learned to swim. She explains to him that when she first moved to the United States from Ghana, Black people were not permitted to use the community pools or swim at the public beaches.
Nana Ruby makes a deal with her grandson…if he is willing to learn to swim, then she will too! Nana Ruby explains to Kwesi that they can call upon the protection of the West African water spirit Mami Wata to help guide them in their endeavor. With the fires of his confidence stoked, Kwesi sets out to conquer his fears alongside his grandmother and soon KWESI AND NANA RUBY LEARN TO SWIM. Vivid colors and patterns indicative of kente cloth from illustrator Barbara Quintino celebrate the family’s West African culture and the motivating story by Kobina Commeh is peppered with West African words and phrases. This multilayered, multigeneration tale of resilience and heritage was recently listed as a 2026 NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor Title and was a labor of love and learning for its author who mentions, in an author’s note, that he was inspired to write this from learning to swim as an adult with his own children.
The second story in our plucky picture book pairing introduces readers to Vera the Brave, Vera la Valiente. Vera’s strong. Vera’s kind. There’s nothing she can’t do! That is until she hears from her teacher Ms. Rodriguez that her class will be taking a field trip to the Rocking Roller Coasters amusement park. All of her friends are so excited! But VERA LA VALIENTE IS SCARED.
Despite being scared, Vera displays some fantastic coping mechanisms through this story from publisher Beaming Books! She draws a roller coaster…but soon her art begins to reflect her fears. She practices going on rides at home, but this exercise doesn’t seem to help either…just gives her more butterflies and knots in her stomach. She pushes these feelings down and down and down until she just can’t keep them inside anymore!Soon, Vera’s words come out fast, and rushed, and…scared. But Vera realizes no one is making fun of her for being scared. In fact, her teacher, Ms. Rodriguez, praises her for being brave enough to express herself and her apprehensions.
Both of these titles showcase that the first step towards courage in trying new things is to recognize and name what feels scary. Each child finds comfort in sharing these fears with friends and/or trusted adults who reiterate that when fears are acknowledged, they become easier to conquer. Talking about new experiences that scare us allow us to think of possible solutions and address scary situations with more manageable compromises. By taking small steps of bravery and staying openminded about trying new things, there’s nothing that can’t be achieved. These characters demonstrate that courage does not necessarily mean being fearless but choosing to try despite being scared. Together these books reinforce the idea that growth happens when we face our worries with honesty and willingness.
For extended discussions on the topic of bravery dive into this KWESI AND NANA RUBY LEARN TO SWIM discussion guide available on the Barefoot Books website.
Or try your hand at a log of all the small acts of bravery little ones achieve throughout the year. This could be done in many ways, such as writing down achievements on a popsicle stick and placing them in a jar), decorating a flash card with the new experience and attaching to a keyring, or keeping a physical or digital journal describing moments of courage in trying new things. With any of these examples, you have the added bonus of being able to look over each effort made at the end of the year to help kids see just how much they’ve tried.
