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 LilyAuthor: Max Lucado
Illustrator: Sergio Martinez
Published, 1997: Crossway Books
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