Aslan and Benny by Jemima Shafei-Ongu. Illus. by Jade Goodwin

Aslan is fearless, living up to misname, the lion in The lion, the witch and the wardrobe. He can cycle down a hill very fast on his bike, find his brother when he goes missing, battle with his friends in outer space. He loves going to his cousin’s house on Sunday. Here they have a family barbecue and the children play together all day long. But one Sunday they go to Yenge’s house, he finds they now have a dog, Benny. Aslan is terrified of the dog and will go nowhere near him. He spends his time at his cousin's house on the staircase, a place the dog is not allowed to go. He watches while the rest of the children play their games.

On one Sunday Yenge talks to Aslan about being scared. They make up a funny song about the dog, and Yenge tells him that sometimes she is scared. She shares with the him the simple remedy of breathing, an exercise which calms the mind and concentrates the body on something other than the problem. Mum reminds him of places where he was initially scared but now is fearless.

The next Sunday with the smell of fresh baklava filling the room, Aslan ventures into the kitchen. He is aware of his fear, but contains it, he practises his breathing and reaches out to the dog. He is surprised how warm and bristly the dog feels. Now they are the best of friends, and looks forward to Sundays at his cousins’ house. 

This charming tale of overcoming fears will have resonance with many children whose lives are confined by worries. Breathing exercises have more prominence in recent books, and children are encouraged to try meditation to help them focus. It is wonderful to see a book which represents our wider community, and offers different words for children to learn and be familiar with.

Vivid and bright illustrations by First Nations artist Jade Goodwin, illustrator of Ash Barty’s Little Ash series and picture book, My Dream for You cover each page, promoting a loving family centred group of people.

Jemima Shafei-Ongu is a Sydney-based writer promoting inclusion and representation in children’s literature. Jemima explores themes of belonging and connection, and these themes come shining through in this book which includes some Turkish words, a guide to their pronunciation offered on the last page.

Themes: Inclusion, Family, Fear, Belonging, Meditation, Self worth.

Fran Knight