Dogger Storybook and CD

Kevin Whately (Reader). Red Fox 2009, Paperback, 32 pages, $6.48

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Dave’s favorite toy is a stuffed toy named Dogger.  He carries him everywhere and depends on him to help him go to sleep.  One morning, while out with his mother, meeting his older sister Bella at school, Dogger disappears.  When bedtime comes, Dogger is nowhere to be found, and although Bella loans him one of her teddies, he is very sad during the night.  In the morning at the school fair, Dave is too sad to have fun, and he wanders off from the rest of his family.  At one of the used-toy stands he is shocked to see Dogger for sale.  He runs to find his parents, but finds only Bella, who returns to the stand with him just in time to see another child walk away with Dogger.  Bella saves the day, trading her new teddy bear for the worn old Dogger.

This well-written story begins with concrete details and builds to a dramatic crisis and resolution that any child who’s had a “lovey” can identify with.  Hughes’ artwork is wonderfully rendered, with a particular eye to details that emphasize the warmth and closeness of this family.  Most importantly, Bella’s open-hearted self-sacrifice epitomizes the kindness that siblings ought to express toward one another.  Elder and younger siblings will appreciate this story for different reasons.

A Birthday for Frances

Lillian Hoban (Illustrator). HarperCollins 1976, Paperback, 32 pages, $3.35

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Frances’ sister Gloria is having a birthday party, and as the preparations commence Frances begins to deal with feelings of jealousy over the attention Gloria is receiving.  When she realizes everyone is giving Gloria a present but her, she begins to cry, then lights upon the idea of buying Gloria a Chompo bar and some gumballs with an advance on her allowance.  But on the way home she “accidentally” eats the gumballs, and Father takes the Chompo bar for safekeeping.  As the time for the party grows nearer, Frances dithers about whether or not to give up the gift, until Gloria announces that her birthday wish is to be on good terms with Frances.  Affection wins out, and Frances joyfully presents her gift to Gloria.

Hoban writes this story with incisive characterization of how young children think, with several delightful moments in which children (and their parents) may recognize themselves.  Especially charming is Frances’ practice of “spelling” words in the manner of grownups (q-p-m for “ice cream”), which will appeal to early readers who know that words are actually spelled systematicallly.  Frances’ struggle with selfishness is genuine enough to avoid a preachy, moralistic message, and the entire story takes place in the context of a secure family environment, with wise and loving parents.  An outstanding story.

Flat Stanley

Macky Pamintuan (Illustrator). HarperCollins 2003, Paperback, 112 pages, $1.37

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Stanley is an ordinary boy whose life changes when a large bulletin board falls on him during the night, flattening him to a thickness of a half-inch.  His new shape enables him to do many fantastic things: travel to California via airmail, slip underneath doors, fly like a kite, and finally pose as a painting to capture a pair of art thieves in the local museum.  Throughout the story, Stanley’s brother Arthur struggles with envy.  In a touching conclusion, when Stanley begins to be mocked by the other school kids because of his shape, Arthur compassionately helps him find a solution that returns him to his normal shape.

This whimsical story is entirely enjoyable, and what it lacks in depth of plot and character development (no pun intended), it makes up for in imagination.  Stanley displays kindness and courage, and the reconciliation of the two brothers is heartwarming.  This is a great fun read, and is the first in a series of similar stories.  It’s a great choice for children transitioning from picture books to chapter books, and for early readers who are aren’t quite ready for full chapter books.

Jacob Have I Loved

Katherine Paterson. HarperCollins 1990, Paperback, 256 pages, $2.50

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Sara Louise Bradshaw is an awkward, pretentious young woman consumed with envy against her twin sister, whom she feels has robbed her of love and attention since their birth, when Louise was forgotten in the rush to save Caroline’s life.  In Louise’s words,

I was the elder by a few minutes. I always treasured the thought of those minutes. They represented the only time in my life when I was the center of everyone’s attention. From the moment Caroline was born, she snatched it all for herself. (Harper Trophy, 1990, p. 18)

Her feelings are understandable, since her emotionally distant parents do favor the beautiful Caroline, making significant sacrifices to develop her musical gift while Louise (or “Wheeze,” as dubbed by her sister) is neglected.  The book traces Louise’s journey out of her oppressive adolescence into a new life of her own choosing, as she leaves home and marries far from her family.

This story is one of the first in a 1980′s genre of fiction that focused on the out-of-place feelings young people struggle with.  As in many stories of this type, the author succeeds very well at portraying Louise’s crushing resentment, but fails to provide a satisfying resolution.  Throughout her struggles she is obsessively self-absorbed and bitterly envious, providing ample opportunity for readers’ empathy but not for emulation.  More troubling than her hatred of Caroline is her insistence that God is to blame for her pain.  This sentiment is underscored by her mentally ill grandmother, who venomously whispers an out-of-context scripture quotation to her: “As it is written, ‘Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.’” (Romans 9:13)

Although the author subtly lets the reader know that many of Louise’s problems are of her own making, the idea that God has forsaken her is never really contradicted.  Rather, it is through taking responsibility for her decisions, leaving home and building a new life on her own terms that Louise achieves resolution.  The story concludes when, in her new vocation as a midwife, she  momentarily forgets to care for a healthy twin while saving the life of the younger.  She instructs the young mother to give proper attention to the healthy child, and walks home peacefully, hearing her sister’s voice singing in her mind.  This scene may be interpreted to mean that she has come to terms with the injustice of her childhood, even though she does not actually reconcile with her sister or parents.

This book won a Newbery Medal, and has been enjoyed by many readers because of its masterful writing and the genuine pathos of its protagonist.  But Louise’s faults unfortunately permeate this compelling story.  I’m willing to be challenged, but I believe that while Paterson has done a great job of describing adolescent struggles, her protagonist is never allowed to fully transcend them.  This, combined with the truly poisonous nature of Sara Louise’s family, makes this a story that may do more harm than good.