Gabby Bears with Embarrassment: Feeling Embarrassment & Learning Humor

This addition to the Help Me Understand series focuses on handling feelings of embarrassment. Gabby heads to her first overnight camp, taking with her comforting objects: a photo of her family, her blanket, and her teddy bear. When her backpack opens and other kids see the items, Gabby feels embarrassed. She tearfully confides in her friend Aanya, who reassures her that it’s no big deal: “It feels much worse than it was,” she tells Gabby. Pointing to her cochlear implants, Aanya shares that she knows what it’s like to be stared at. Gabby also remembers her grandmother’s words of advice, which occur throughout the volume: “It’s okay to feel embarrassed./ Everyone does sometimes./ Pick yourself up and laugh it off./ Let the world know you’re fine.” Strouse illustrates in a friendly cartoon style that enhances Day and Johnson’s relatable storytelling and softens the narrative’s more pedantic elements. Back matter invites parents and child readers to talk about dealing with embarrassment. Ages 6–12. (June)