Hello! How is your week going?
Here we’re having a slow week, it feels like it should already be Friday. But it’s Wednesday. I wonder why some weeks feel that way? Kind of slow, like they’re fighting with all their might to make Friday just a little more out of reach? I don’t know, but this week is definitely one of them! Oh well. Luckily we did have a chance to read some new books this week, books always make the week a little more fun. They’re kind of an escape, a tunnel into fantasy, a brief peek into a colorful new world of imagination. That’s why we love them.
We got our new Literati box this week, and also got a couple of books from our library and the book thrift shop. So we had a lot to look through! This week we’re going to talk about one that we thought was really cute, “Odd Dog Out” written and illustrated by Rob Biddulph, published 2016 by Harper Collins Children’s Books.
Odd Dog Out is about Odd Dog, a little dog that well…stands out! She is uncomfortable about this, and journeys far away to find more dogs like her. Only to learn that it’s ok (and actually, it’s pretty great) to stand out and be yourself. She comes back home to see that what made her different, really made people miss her!
I love a book that is written and illustrated by the author. I think it’s really special to take the words in your head and turn them into pictures. It is something that I would love to do, and honestly the illustrations of this one are very cute. They’re colorful and happy and bright and fun to look at and read.
It makes me glad and so very happy to see books that are more and more focused on how great it is to be different and to be joyful about what makes us unique. Growing up, I was one of the only kids I knew who spoke Spanish, and I wasn’t always treated kindly. Being different made me feel vulnerable, and I know that there are many kids who feel that way now. I’m happy to see more celebration of differences and diversity as a great and wonderful thing, something that is enriching and worth celebrating. Now as a mother to a neurodiverse child, I really embrace and rejoice in this message, that we should accept and celebrate people as they are, and that being happy with who you are is a great and powerful thing. More books that emphasize that message are needed and appreciated!
I really liked this book, and I liked the message of self-love and acceptance. The world sends us a lot of messages about how we should act, and who we should be, but being true to ourselves is the greatest way for us to share our gifts and our special unique selves with those around us. That’s what makes the world better.
Have you had a chance to read this book? What other books celebrating differences and emphasizing self-love have you read lately? Share with us in the comments!
Until next time, I hope that you are happy, know that you are special, and have a chance to read many books about things that interest you and allow you to escape to happy far away places,
Love,
-Colorful Swans Press 🦢 💜
Colorful Swans Press 