Monday, February 15, 2010

Review #60: You Are Special


Lily (age 6):  "You Are Special."
Isaac (age 11):  By Max Lucado.
Gracie (age 9):  And illustrations are by... Sergio Martinez.
Isaac:  That's a long name.
Gracie:  I love this book.  It's got a sweet ending.  It just makes me feel happy inside.
Lily:  It's about a little wooden guy named Punchinello.  He is a Wemmick.  A Wemmick is a wooden man that this carpenter makes.
Isaac:  The carpenter builds all the little Wemmicks.
Gracie:  He's their "Maker Dude."
Isaac:  He's their creator.
Gracie:  How did he make them come to life and talk and stuff?
Isaac:  With his magic touch.
Lily:  Punchinello has a big nose.  And no one likes him.
Gracie:  People don't like him because he doesn't know any tricks.  He can't say big fancy words.
Isaac:  And the Wemmicks put gray dot stickers on anyone they don't like.
Lily:  They put big stars on the people they do like.  Stars are for people that are cool.  Dots are for not-cool people.
Dad:  And Puncinello was covered in dots.
Lily:  They put big, big, big gray dots on him.  He thought he had not a speck of special.
Gracie:  Punchinello doesn't give anyone else dots or stars.  I wonder why?
Lily:  The Wemmick in this page is my favorite.
Isaac:  He looks like a little robot.
Lily:  He's a cute dude.
Gracie:  I think all the Wemmicks are cute.
Isaac:  I like that blue one.  He has a weird head.
Dad:  He's getting a lot of dots too.
Isaac:  Wow.  Maybe he's just blue from dots.
Dad:  So, what happens to poor Punchinello?
Gracie:  When Puncinello goes to see the woodcarver, he feels like no one wants him.
Isaac:  The carpenter said, "It doesn't matter what they think.  It only matters what I think."  Because the carpenter really loves all the Wemmicks.
Lily:  He was special because the carpenter made him.
Gracie:  Then Punchinello gets all happy.  He feels really happy.
Dad:  The woodcarver loves the Wemmicks, not for what they can do, but because he made them.  Because they belong to him.
Isaac:  It's like God.  Even though people might not like you, God made you and He loves you.
Gracie:  Yeah, it doesn't matter what other people think.  It just matters what God thinks.  Because He made us.
Dad:  Does it work the other way too?  What if people praise you for the things you do, but God isn't happy?  Whose opinion matters in that case?
Gracie:  It just matters what God thinks.  What about that guy in the Bible who turned into an animal?
Dad:  King Nebuchadnezzer?  Yep, he thought he was hot stuff.  Not because of God's love, but because of his own pride.  And did it matter if he thought himself great?
Gracie:  Nope, because he turned into an animal.
Dad:  Not an actual animal.  He turned into a wild man and crawled around like an animal.
Isaac:  And ate grass.
Gracie:  And he let his hair flow.
Dad:  So good or bad, whose is the only opinion we should concern ourselves with?
Isaac:  God.
Dad:  So that deals with how we view ourselves...  Can we also learn anything about how we should treat others?
Isaac:  Treat them specially.  Don't make fun of people.
Gracie:  The next person is just as special as us.
Dad:  Who would this be a good book for?
Isaac:  For people who think they are not very special.  God loves us, and this book reminds us of that.
Gracie:  And if you've got a sweet heart and you like little cutie guys, this is a good book for you too.
Dad:  So Lily, are you special?
Lily:  Mm-hm.
Dad:  Why?
Lily:  Because God made me.  Actually, Jesus and God made me.  They worked together.


Punchinello, by Isaac

covered in dots, by Gracie

stickers bounce off! by Lily


Author: Max Lucado
Illustrator: Sergio Martinez
Published, 1997: Crossway Books
Like it?  Find it

5 comments:

Carrie said...

I've heard nothing but good things about this book but I still haven't read it. I've read a few other Lucado books, but not this particular one. It was fun reading all of your thoughts on it as well as looking at your illustrations (as always). Thanks for giving this one yet another thumbs up for me to get to...

Hull.Margaret said...

Good job "guys" >>>you made the Message come through loud and clear. Each of you are special.
Penny

Unknown said...

I haven't read this one either, but love that the message comes through loud and clear, but it seems like a good story too.

Heather Zundel said...

"He thought he had not a speck of special." That is very poetic Lily. I love it.

And Issac, you are very smart. You all are. This is a great discussion of one of my favorite books. :)

Dan said...

I love this book too. I read it to my class when I was a teachers aid. I'll to go buy it for myself.