Books that encourage kids to be themselves

Children spend a lot of their youth being told what to do and not to do, how to act, what to think and the difference between right and wrong. Some of that is good. Some of it is not.

Ironically, despite the claim that human beings encourage individuality, that is often not the case. Frequently, and perhaps unknowingly, people want others to be a reflection of themselves. This attitude substantiates that we are OK; who and what we are is the "right" way to do things. But that can be a very dangerous thing. After all, if we were all the same, our world would be quite colorless.

Children need the opportunity to develop their own personalities and be confident in fulfilling who they are, not a mirror reflection of someone else. Today's reviewed books address just that, and with the encouragement and understanding on your part, that can become a reality.

Books to borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

• "Horton Hatches the Egg" written and illustrated in full color by Dr. Seuss, Random House, 55 pages

Read aloud: ages 3 and older

Read yourself: ages 6 and older

Mayzie, a lazy bird, doesn't want the responsibility of sitting on her egg to keep it warm. She longs to play and forget her obligations. When trustworthy Horton the elephant happens by, Mayzie tricks him into egg-sitting for her, promising she'll hurry right back. Horton agrees, assuring Mayzie that he'll be faithful to her and the egg until she returns.

When Mayzie doesn't return, faithful Horton keeps true to his word. Through storms, hunters, a trans-Atlantic voyage and circus engagement, he keeps that egg warm and safe.

At long last, Mayzie finally comes back. Now that all the hard work is done and the egg is about to hatch, Mayzie wants her egg back.

Through rollicking rhymes and delightful surprise ending, this book carries an important message about being true to your word and the price paid for irresponsibility.

Librarian's choice

Library: Sutter County Library, 750 Forbes Ave., Yuba City

Library Director: Roxanna Parker

Children's Librarian: Chalese Valdez

Choices this week: "Clementine" by Sara Pennypacker; "John, Paul, George and Ben" by Lane Smith; "The Tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamillo

Books to buy

The following books are available at your favorite bookstores.

• "Silly Tilly" by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by David Slonim, Marshall Cavendish, 2009, 32 pages, $16.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 3 and older

Read yourself: age 7 — 8

Tilly was a silly goose, brimming with fun and a zest for the out-of-the-ordinary. Among other things, Tilly wore a pancake as a hat, combed her feathers with a rake and took naps in scarecrow's pants. Sometimes, Tilly made her farm friends laugh. But one day, for no apparent reason, her friends told Tilly they had had enough of her silly antics; they had to stop!

Tilly did what her friends asked and kept to herself inside the barn for several weeks. At first, her friends were pleased to have farm life "normal," but soon realized none of them had laughed in a long time. Suddenly, they knew why, and they knew what needed to be done to correct that situation.

Told in rhyme and boasting expressive illustrations, "Silly Tilly" is a fun story that also promotes the importance of being yourself.

• "Abigail Spells" written and illustrated by Anna Alter, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, 34 pages, $16.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 5 — 7

Read yourself: age 7 — 8

Abigail loves to do all sorts of things with her best friend, George. Abigail's favorite thing to do was to spell, and she was a very good speller. When Abigail saw the poster announcing a spelling bee, she was beside herself with excitement.

Finally, the big day arrived, and Abigail was nervous. When it was her turn to spell, Abigail's tummy felt funny and her mind went blank. She made a mistake, which meant she would not go on to compete at the big City Fair Spelling Bee.

Abigail was devastated, and George knew he had to do something to help his friend understand that winning wasn't everything and that he liked Abigail just the way she was.

Charming in every way, this powerful little story will connect with children on multiple levels.

Kendal A. Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached at kendal@sunlink.net.