But I'm a cowardly banana
Be brave for your friends!

Every child has something they are afraid of.
It is a natural phenomenon that everyone feels, although the object and frequency of fear may differ depending on the child's experiences and temperament.
Although coping methods vary depending on what part of the fear children are experiencing, indirect experiences through picture books can have a positive effect on overcoming fear.


Banana, the main character of "Cheer Up! Banana," is also very fearful.
He is especially afraid of the dark and bugs.
So, when the fruit and vegetable friends suggest playing hide-and-seek, they hesitate.
Because the place you have to hide is dark and there might be bugs.
When the lively Strawberry leads the way and suggests they hide together, Banana reluctantly joins in the play.


A banana who is too scared to express his own opinion properly.
But when his friends are in danger, he shows off his unexpected charm.
Although he is terribly afraid of bugs, he bravely steps forward and uses himself as bait for fruit flies.
Thanks to Banana's behavior, the Fruit and Vegetable Heroes come up with a brilliant way to chase away the fruit fly villains.


Just like the banana that gave courage to even the cowardly, we have included a post-reading activity sheet titled 'Awaken the Courage Within Me!' to encourage readers to read 'Cheer Up! Banana' and find courage.
You can help children build the strength to overcome fear by reminding them of positive experiences of courage, such as when they had courage and how they felt.
Let's read and enjoy picture books even more with post-reading activities.

Based on scientific facts
Defeat the villains that appear!

The Fruit and Vegetable Heroes series easily explains various scientific phenomena that can be encountered in the real world through exciting stories.
In "Delicious Forest Lemon," the benefits of lemons are revealed, including preventing food from spoiling and eliminating fishy smells.
In "Strawberries and Pangi," molds that want to eat strawberries are introduced, metaphorically showing the scientific fact that "strawberries easily grow mold."
In "Peach Seed Launch!", it is also said that "snails are weak to salt", and in "Apples and the Villain Wind", it is said that "apples are a fruit that browns easily, and sprinkling lemon juice on them can prevent browning."
In "The Grape and the Sand Monster," a sand monster, symbolized by a withered heart, appears and attempts to turn the forest into a desert, but the combination of grape vines and rain revives green leaves and restores the forest.

The same goes for "Cheer Up! Banana".
Banana, who is afraid of bugs, is attacked by fruit fly villains.
Fruit flies, uninvited guests that come every summer, always appear around bananas.
And once a fruit fly appears, its population increases dramatically in an instant.
It's quite annoying that it's so fast that it's hard to catch even if you try to catch it.
Children will empathize with the villainous fruit flies surrounding the banana and wonder how they can defeat them.
How can we defeat the evil fruit flies? Let's learn the scientific knowledge naturally incorporated into the book.