SHY by Red Comet Press

BOOK

This book belongs to:

For Jess x -- JM

The Shy Book

Published in the United Kingdom in 2024 by Graffeg Limited

This edition published in 2026 by Red Comet Press, LLC, Brooklyn, NY

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2025940322

ISBN (HB): 978-1-63655-188-3

ISBN (EBOOK): 978-1-63655-189-0

25 26 27 28 29 30 TLF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Edition

in China Red Comet Press is distributed by ABRAMS, New York RedCometPress.com

The BOOK

Red Comet Press . Brooklyn

Howard Pearlstein & James Munro

W h y a re Y O U

lki n g a t M E ?

Sorry.

VERY shy book.

I'm

a SHY book.

And when I'm around someone I don't know . . .

E MBARR ASSED.

And sometimes I'm so

d i z z y . . . f e e l . . . I

Huh? You're still here?

I mean, I want you to read me. I really do.

But I'm afraid that you'll . . .

How about reading one of these books instead? They're much better than I am. I don't have anything INTERESTING to say . . .

Which is not a good quality for a book.

So, go ahead, close me up and pick a different book. Bye.

Oh, hi again.

I'm actually kind of glad you're still here because, well . . .

I did have an IDEA.

It may not be a very good idea, but what if we . . .

Never mind. It's not a good idea.

You want to hear my idea?

Well, what if we . . . instead of ME?

Like, what's your favorite color?

No way! That's my favorite color too!

Hey, do you mind if I ask you another question?

Do you sometimes feel

That's okay. I think you're just the way you are.

You're

too, because YOU helped ME learn something.

When I asked you questions, I felt brave, not shy.

And it was less scary to talk about YOU than about ME .

Hey, I have another idea . . .

Next time you're around people and feeling shy . . . ask them questions just like I did.

I bet you'll feel BRAVE too! ?

I'm glad you kept reading me. It's what I wanted really.

I'm not feeling so shy anymore.

Now I'm feeling . . . And, you know what?

Howard Pearlstein

Howard is an award-winning author whose picture books have been translated into five languages. He’s also an advertising copywriter behind campaigns for some of the world’s most popular brands, including Toyota, Verizon, and Mitsubishi. A California native, Howard now lives in Birmingham, Alabama. Howard has three daughters, Amanda, Jacquie, and Emily, who live across the country, and one wife, Debi, who still lives at home.

howardpearlstein.com

James Munro

James can get nervous meeting new people, and his words can come out all jumbled, so James prefers to communicate with pictures instead.

James’s drawings have shouted from pages, screens, and posters since he was old enough to pick up a pencil. He lives and works in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and steals most of his ideas from his children, Orla and Laurie. His favorite color is red, and his favorite animal is definitely an otter. mistermunro.co.uk

The BOOK

This book wants to be read--truly, it does--but there’s just one problem: It’s feeling a little shy. It worries the reader might think it’s silly . . . or worse, boring.

So it suggests putting it back on the shelf--surely, there must be a better book out there. But what if the reader doesn’t give up? Perfect for classrooms, bedtime, and anytime kids need some reassurance.

Howard Pearlstein & James Munro