Family
Perspectives on Parenting©
by Nancy Lambert Davenport
Nancy Davenport's Column:
For Richardson News 08-22-99
Copyright Nancy Lambert Davenport 1999
"Book Review: We'll Paint the Octopus Red"
My first favorite book as I was growing up was one that belonged to my mother when she was a child. It was called The Castle of Grumpy Grouch. The story was about a snooty little girl who was always losing her temper at the slightest provocation. One day that temper became an ugly little creature and literally ran away. The girl had to go on an adventuresome quest to an amazing castle to find it once again and regain control of it. The illustrations were captivating, the writing style exciting, and the story was one both adults and children could appreciate.
Now I have found another favorite children's book in a long line of many since encountering The Castle.... It is called We'll Paint the Octopus Red written by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen and illustrated by Pam DeVito. It too has illustrations into which the reader wants to step, has a readability that pulls one to the next page, and a story for any age.
At first the six-year old main character is not thrilled about her new brother or sister who is expected to join their family. Her father tries to give her a pep talk about how fun it will be to have a sibling, but not until she comes up with her own ideas does she get excited. They'll go to their grandparents, and while they sit in the back of the van they can go on an African safari. She goes through a list of other imaginative things they'll do together.
When the baby arrives though her father comes to her with red eyes and tells her that her new brother has Down syndrome. She does know at all about "this Down thing" but clearly to her it must mean something terrible especially not going to the farm and on safaris together.
When she sits down with her father though and goes through her long list one by one, her father tells her that there is not one thing on that list that her brother won't be able to do. It just may take a little longer than they originally planned.
This book's optimism is as refreshing as its candor. My guess is that it will relate to the parents as much as the children. This of course is a common trait of an excellent children's book. Not only does it have a level of story to which a parent can relate, after the conclusion of the story, the author has a section of questions that may come from a sibling with appropriate answers for parents to consider. If nothing else these questions may allow parents to think through their own answers to questions before they are asked.
We'll Paint the Octopus Red was published by Woodbine House in 1998 and can be found on the world wide web at woodbinehouse.com.
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Nancy Lambert Davenport
EMAIL: nancdave@swbell.net
URL: http://www.nancyldavenport.com