WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO BE BRAVE?
THE INSPIRATION
Watching a pair of robins make a nest, incubate their eggs, feed their hatchlings, and watch them eventually leave the nest was a new experience.
What was unexpected was that one of the three little birds did not want to leave the nest, long after his siblings departed.
The frustrated parents tried many things to encourage the reluctant flyer. Eventually, he took flight and left the nest.
His reluctance prompted the author to write about the courage to fly, which could apply to any child who is afraid.
Because being brave is doing what you have to — even when you're afraid.
Arleen Shabel
is a former French teacher who has been painting and writing most of her life. She is a nature lover and observer. Ms. Shabel was a member of the first docent (guide) class at the Philadelphia Zoo, where she led tours for children and adults on the grounds and visited schools with some of the animals from the zoo. She lives in Florida and New Jersey. She is the author of Bogie Sees Paris and Under Paris Rooftops.
Stella Maris
is an award-winning children's book illustrator. She loves to explore her own inner child, zooming about on roller skates and befriending her favorite creatures—owls, mice, and the occasional squirrel.