"Flatmunder": FREE Children's Book To Help Kids Conquer Fears

Lions and tigers and bears ... and flat witches? Many children have fears, sometimes irrational ones, about things that go bump in the night, and for one fictional little boy, that thing is flat witches.

The new children's book, "Flatmunder," written and illustrated by Emmy award winning animator Mark Greene with the help of his son Gus, focuses on the issue of childhood fears. Our young hero, Bernard, becomes convinced that flat witches inhabit his bathroom after his -- much older and wiser -- 8-year-old neighbor Margaret tells him so. He starts out a little bit afraid, but soon gets obsessed:

As each day passed, Bernard thought more and more about the flat witches. Although he had not yet seen an actual flat witch in his house, he felt sure they were there.

When Bernard finally decides to go see these flat witches for himself, he discovers that a little imagination goes a long way when it comes to conquering your fears, thanks to his new superhero-like friend, Flatmunder. According to Greene, the lighthearted story has a larger purpose:

When a child or parents get fearful, it creates a place of inflexibility and everyone can get dragged into that place of inflexibility. If we can play with the issue, no matter what it is ... we can invite a child's natural joy into the space and use that playfulness to explore and overcome fear (ours and theirs).

This subject is one that we think is important, especially as nearly 75 percent of 4 to 12-year-olds report experiencing nighttime fears.

Tonight, for Halloween -- the ultimate celebration of both fear and play, really -- we're offering readers a sneak peak at some of Greene's fabulous illustrations. You can also score a free (yes, we said FREE) PDF of the book here, available through Christmas.

PREVEW "FLATMUNDER"