Ella McBella in the Dark

"A charming story about a little girl and the monsters that go bump in the night, keeping her awake, too frightened to sleep. Beautifully told with care and compassion and lovely, colorful illustrations." Emily-Jane Hills Orford, Readers' Favorite
"Beautifully illustrated lyrical children's story about empowering oneself to find a solution to an age-old fear; the dark and what it might hold. I appreciated how the book encourages children to use their imaginations to problem-solve and see things from a different, more positive perspective." Susan Sewell, Readers' Favorite
"Laura Pells taps into an intense fear this book really stands out in the crowded field of children's literature. The lyrical, rhythmic narrative is fun and engaging, with sublime, full-color hand-drawn artistry. All of these brilliant elements come together perfectly to turn Ella, her fear, and her small acts of courage into a fantastic read. Very highly recommended." Jamie Michele, Readers' Favorite
"a sensitive picture book that encourages the use of one's inner resources to confront, and conquer, fear. Written in the form of a lovely rhyming poem, the book is empowering (and) demonstrates that anxiety can be banished by discovering and understanding the truth. The illustrations are delicate, expressive, and active, they use body language and facial expressions to portray Ella's movement from fear to understanding and peace." Foreword Reviews
"A girl uses her imagination to handle nighttime fearsgathering her teddy bears, reading favorite books by flashlight, and watching the antics of animals outside. In her engaging story, Pells writes rhyming couplets that have a nicely regular meter and vivid word choices: "The shapes change and morph from tree branches to blobs, / growing pointy, long horns and moving in mobs." Kirkus Reviews