Although picture books are often seen as stories for younger kids, the tales themselves often offer examples of maturity and compassion that can be valuable for readers of any age – like the two picture books reviewed below.
The Tooth
Going to the dentist can be disturbing for many kids. But when Marissa goes to the dentist to get her tooth pulled, she sees something that disturbs her even more – a homeless man being ignored by the people outside the dentist’s building.
As Marissa continues to watch the man through the waiting room window, she sees how some people mistreat the man while others leave very little money in his shoebox. Wanting to help, she remembers how the dentist told her the tooth fairy would bring her money if she put her tooth under her pillow – and decides to give the man the one thing she has that might help him.
A melancholy look at homelessness and modern life, The Tooth is one picture book that manages to be sentimental without becoming as naïve as its main character. Though Marissa’s final act is compassionate, the narrator makes it clear that it won’t solve the man’s problem (he still doesn’t have a pillow to place Marissa’s tooth under).
Nevertheless, Marissa’s actions are significant since she, unlike the people passing the homeless man, is willing to not only see him but also offer him some courtesy. Illustrator Manon Gauthier drives this point visually by painting all the characters in shades of grey – save Marissa, her mother, and the homeless man who acknowledge one another, unlike the anonymous city folk. It’s a telling look at our society that makes this one picture book ripe for discussion.
Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion
Ever since she was a toddler, Trixie and her Knuffle Bunny doll always managed to find each other – even when Knuffle Bunny got lost at the laundromat or mixed up with another Knuffle Bunny. But this time, Knuffle Bunny may be lost for good when Trixie accidentally leaves him on the airplane during a trip to see her grandparents!
Fortunately, Trixie finds out that she’s big enough to be okay without Knuffle Bunny, even though she never stops missing her friend. Then, on the plane trip back home, she gets a huge surprise when an amazing coincidence brings Knuffle Bunny back to her! But when Trixie sees a baby on the plane in need of a friend, she starts to wonder – could it finally be time to let Knuffle Bunny go?
In this latest (and possibly final) book to Mo Willems’ Knuffle Bunny book series, Willems brings Trixie’s adventures with her stuffed bunny to a satisfying close. While some writers might have ended the story with Trixie’s decision to become “Knuffle Bunny free,” Willems adds a final note from Trixie’s father that follows her as she grows up, becomes a mother, and gets to reunite with Knuffle Bunny one more time. It’s a heartwarming end to this popular book series, in the spirit of new children’s classics like Toy Story and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
Check out Mo Willems’ popular book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and other fun storytelling books at Read Aloud Books for Toddlers and Kindergarten and Funny Animal Picture Books.
Slodovnick, Avi and Manon Gauthier. The Tooth. Kane Miller EDC Publishing. 2010. ISBN: 978-1-935279-72-3
Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion. Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins Publishers. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-06-192957-1
Michael Jung - Michael Jung is a professional writer, children’s literature specialist, and online book dealer whose articles, reviews, interviews, ...
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