This is a wonderful book. Even as an adult I really love how it shows that sometimes things that scare us can be good still. The art in this book is beautiful. I recommend this to anyone who has a kiddo or even an adult in their life who is scared.

This picture book has dreamy, unique illustrations and a nice message about how friends can introduce you to new perspectives and help you overcome your fears. There isn't much of a story here, so this mainly appeals as a teaching book, but I found this sweet and reassuring. I like the emphasis on how it's possible to view new and different things with curiosity and wonderment instead of fear and suspicion, and I think this could be helpful for anxious kids.

In "An Unexpected Thing", Fred's life is ruled by fear—but his (new?) friend Coco helps him see that sometimes uncertainty can be wonderful.

This makes for a lovely, compassionate look at anxiety in kids. I have a friend (diagnosed with anxiety from a very young age) who might have benefitted from this sort of book as a child, and I expect many adults will also know children for whom this would be helpful—children who can't quite bring themselves to fling themselves at the world with abandon.

The illustrations are rather rougher than the cover image suggests, but the use of color is really nice, especially as the book transitions from Fred's view of the world to Coco's.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

What a lovely book to include in your PSHE curriculum. With gorgeous illustrations and short bursts of text, this charming book explores the concept of fear in a very age-appropriate way. It helps us to appreciate that we each experience things in a different way and all of our responses are right. It will be a lovely book to share just before the beginning of a new term or just before transition within school when some children do feel more anxious than usual. The gorgeous cover alone will generate lots of discussion before you even get to the content of the story.
I hope Ashling will write more books along a similar theme.

This was a sweet and beautifully illustrated story about perspective and facing your fears. This would be a good book for a younger child with anxiety, especially one who struggles with panic and pervasive anxiety, in my opinion. The friendship between Fred and Coco can be a model of support for young children and encourage them to forge new relationships, especially if they struggle with social anxiety. The pictures also do an excellent job at representing the different perspectives of Fred and Coco.

Thank you to Quarto and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

It is a simple yet beautiful book about how 2 children see the same thing differently. It is our own perspective that makes something fearful or interesting.

It reminds me of the book, "Black Dog".

A lovely tale about what it means to feel anxiety and fear, and how to come to terms with those emotions. I highly enjoyed the illustration style, particularly the contrast in the colouring of the images based on what the protagonist, Fred, was feeling.

Overall, a satisfying read that will be able to help younger readers navigate hard emotions.

Thank you to Frances Lincoln Children's Books for providing me with a proof of this book!

Thank you so much to Quarto Publishing and Frances Lincoln Childrens and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Fred is scared of everything around him, from things he can see, to things he cannot see, so when a spot appears he becomes afraid of it unsure what exactly it can be. Then Coco who isn’t scared comes to help him she shares with him that scary things could be fun things.

This was sweet I liked that Coco was able to help him, to show him that though the world can be scary and big there can always be something good too. That when he saw something terrifying she saw something fun, that it was all about a perspective and she helped to teach him courage and see things in her perspective.

I really loved the cute hand drawn illustrations throughout and see the spit getting bigger and seeing them explore it together. It was really sweet and a great book for children to read to understand about being scared is okay but that you can be scared and still do the thing that scares you.

An Unexpected Thing introduces the reader to Fred, a boy with anxiety about the unknown. His story takes off when a black spot appears in the sky. This terrifies him, until he meets Coco. Coco is a curious optimist who changes his perspective on the situation. She encourages him that instead of being fearful of the development, he could be curious and willing to explore.

The illustrations in this text are mesmerizing and supplementary to the story. Throughout the story, Fred and Coco are dwarfed by their surroundings. Once Fred's perspective begins to change on the unknown, this does not change. While Fred and Coco remain insignificant to their surroundings, the color and mood shifts. The language and story are appropriate for a 5-6 year old age group.

Fred is constantly scared of everything, from loud noises to new people. His world turns even more frightening when a large, mysterious spot appears out of nowhere. Paralyzed by his fears, Fred decides to hide. On the other hand, Coco views this spot as an exciting discovery. She encourages Fred to join her in investigating this unusual event and confront his fears. 

An Unexpected Thing is a journey of overcoming apprehensions, expanding perspectives, and realizing that the world, when faced with courage, is not as daunting as it seems.

An unexpected thing is a beautifully illustrated book, It’s a great book for kids to read or for grown ups to read with kids especially if they struggle with feeling uncertain about things or have bouts of anxiety.

The world is fizzing with things. Scary things, terrific things, wonderful things. Some things we know, and some things we don't. And even though these things can sometimes make us feel afraid and unsure... together we can find them out.

This beautiful book tells the tale of a little boy named Fred, who is afraid of everything. With the help of his friend, Coco, he manages to beat his fears and venture into life with confidence. What a lovely story! The illustrations are stunning, and the message of this book is so beautiful, it nearly reduced me to tears. I would highly recommend this.

Wow, I really love this book about Fred and Coco and how they both have their own unique perspective on the things they like and dread. Even though there are many frightening things out there, it is vital that all children think positively.

Life is full of unexpected things and this can create anxiety in our lives. This book is a great way to discuss those issues with students. For every negative possibility, his friend has a positive one, until eventually he has grown the courage to sit under the circle, and then to climb into it. It is a great visual helping us see the importance of listening and trusting others perspectives.

Full of lush imagery that somehow conveys a subtle chaos relevant to the story, this picturebook tackles fear and anxiety in a quiet, accessible way for little ones- and packs an unexpected punch for such a small package. I wish I had access to books like this when I was little.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All provided opinions are my own.

A unique take on anxiety about facing your fears and how your perception can change everything. Lovely artwork. There are all kinds of anxiety triggers but this book focuses on an unknown object.

It would be best read together with a parent or in a classroom setting with a teacher to help children with their understanding, while also opening up the chance for conversation about their own fears and anxieties.

That cover 😍

Thank you NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books!

I love the overall message of this book; however, it did get quite confusing in the middle. Highly recommend parents, caregivers, and professionals to go through this book WITH their child so they can explore anxiety and the unknown together. Great book for 1-1 time together!

This is a short picture book about anxiety and friendship. Two children see a black circle as entirely different things. I’m not sure it was completely successful but it’s a lovely book to try with anxious children.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book for review.

Thank you to the Publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC! Another book to add to a feelings library. This book helps kiddos deal with unexpected things, as the unexpected spot becomes present.
The illustrations are hand drawn which gives the book character.

As the mother of a child with anxiety, this book has a lot of good tools and conversation starters to use with anxious children. It would be a very good book to read alongside CBT therapy. The illustrations were lovely as well.