Afraid of the Light: A Story about Facing Your Fears
Afraid of the Light is a delightful story about overcoming fears and learning to try something new—for kids ages 4–7.
Ditter Von Dapp is a quirky rabbit who is painfully afraid of the light. Having confined himself to a cozily dark cave to avoid his biggest fear, he is one day forced to light a candle in order to find a lost shoe. Despite being afraid that the light “might drive me crazy or turn me to goo,” Von Dapp slowly discovers just how wonderful light can be. In his newly illuminated world, he finds that a wise mouse stole his shoe to teach him a valuable lesson.
What do you do when you can’t find your left shoe? Do you run? Do you hide? Do you get mad or feel blue? Old Ditter von Dapp’s bit of insight for you is to simply, courageously, fearlessly, try something new!
“In this quirky picture book that reverses a common childhood fear, Ditter is a bunny who lives in a hole, far from the sun; he’s afraid of anything bright. But a waylaid shoe forces him to do the unthinkable: light a candle and look around. To his delight, he discovers a colorful world that’s worth interacting with. The fun, rhyming, onomatopoeic text tracks Ditter’s growth from a shadowed life toward one that’s alive with details worthy of an attentive search-and-find approach.”—Foreword Reviews
With playful rhymes and incredibly rich illustrations, children and parents will delight in reading Ditter Von Dapp’s journey. His realization that the light isn’t something to be afraid of will help children learn to face their own fears–they just might open themselves up to a new world they never would have imagined and found a new friend in the process!
is Published by Bala Kids-Shambhala Publications
Born on San Juan Island, KING ALBERT KELLY STRASSER IV (typically just called Albert, much to his chagrin) considered growing up, thought better of it, and decided instead to begin writing stories for “the people who understand me.” An experimenter by nature, he tends to try things that don’t work and ask questions that get him into trouble. A Buddhist practitioner, dancer, poet, and eater of pastries, Albert currently resides somewhere new with his imaginary pet salamander, Sir Hugh Hamilton Rothschild Sr.
FLAVIA SORRENTINO lives and works as a freelance illustrator in Rome, where she grew up. She loves her city and the figure of speech, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” which inspires her each day
to seek new ways of communication and expression. She has worked hard on her technique which has taken her across the globe, from France to America and beyond! She has a true passion for Toulouse-Lautrec, poetry, historical costume, typography, Tina Turner, and tomato sauce!
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