Children's Corner: You Will Be My Friend

You Will Be My Friend... a definite statement instead of a question. Once again, Peter Brown, author of Children Make Terrible Pets, explores a difficult situation with humor. With his traditional brown toned art, Mr. Brown teaches that it's not about being what others want us to be, it's about being ourselves.

Lucy decides to make a new friend and sets forth with confidence and determination.  But, Lucy is having a difficult time; she's trying too hard.  Lucy's single-minded tenacity, exuberance, and, as is often the case with my daughter, the sheer force of her enthusiasm bowls people over. It is not only exhausting, but it it is frightening potential friends off. Lucy tries everything she can think of to fit in, including ugly threats ("You won't get any snacks until you start liking me right now.").  Finally in desperation, Lucy yells finds herself facing an egg and shouts, "You will be my friend! I can wait."

Eventually, Lucy makes a friend when she's not trying, of course. It's a tough lesson for any child to learn. Trying to fit in and/or forcing situations without thinking the consequences through, can make things harder.  And while confidence is key, it's also important to be yourself.  I think it's a wonderful story and Peter Brown knows how to spin it without it being too heavy or preachy. It's a good reminder for any child that sometimes, you just need to be patient, slow down, and do your own thing.

Children's Corner: Children Make Terrible Pets

Review:  This one might escape the attention of children due to the fact that it's not as vivid as most children's books, but it's definitely worth seeking out.  Especially if you have a twisted sense of humor like my family.

Lucy the bear finds a little boy in the woods, brings him home, and begs mom to keep him.  Mom reluctantly agrees telling Lucy he will be her responsibility, but warning her that 'children make terrible pets'. While Lucy and the child have lots of fun playing together, she's definitely finding her mother's warning to be true.  She can't train him to use a litter box, or have a proper tea party, or stay out of the mud.  There's also, of course, a language barrier ~humans just make squeaking sounds.  In the end, Lucy learns that perhaps the child is better with it's family, but that doesn't stop her from setting her sights on an even more fantastic pet ~an elephant.

There are some great talking points "What kind of animals make good pets?", "Should we keep wild animals we find?", etc.  While my almost four year old may not be getting all the layers of subtext, it's a book that is amusing for both parent and child, and those are hard to come by.  Peter Brown has another Lucy book, You Will Be My Friend! and I think we will be checking it out soon...

Read an excerpt here.