The Moral of the Story: We Are All Okay.

Do you ever have a day when you feel like maybe you don't quite fit in? Or a day you are trying so hard to do everything the right way but you are too clumsy, or too soft, or too loud, or too small? Or a day you are absolutely positive about something and it turns out that maybe you were just a little bit (just a little bit) wrong? Everyone has their fair share of days like these in a lifetime and they can leave us feeling sad, or anxious, or just plain uncomfortable. (If you have not, you must be some sort of super person. Please teach me your ways, master!) 

Here are the stories I read for Roxboro Elementary Outreach this month. They are stories with characters that are struggling with identity, difficult decisions, and surprising truths. Children have a lot going on in their little heads just like adults do in their big heads, and it is important for all of us to be reminded now and again that everyone has difficult days (and it is all right to have them). How we handle the bad days, mistakes, and difficult decisions is what matters most.

Guji Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen

A very large egg rolls its way through the trees, across a meadow, down a hill and into a duck's nest. Mother Duck didn't notice (she was reading) and when all her eggs hatch, she raises Guji Guji as her own, along with his brothers and sisters Crayon, Zebra, and Moonlight. Though Guji Guji is not a duck, he is also not much like the bad crocodiles that try to convince him otherwise. 

"But no matter how quick they were, or

what they looked like, Mother Duck

loved all her ducklings the same."

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

In the same vein as Guji Guji, Stellaluna falls into a bird's nest after being separated from her mother. Mother Bird takes care of her, but is clear about the rules of the house. If Stellaluna is to stay, she must act like a bird. Stellaluna tries her hardest not to hang by her feet, stay awake during the day, and eat bugs like a good bird should.

"Stellaluna learned to be like the birds."

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

Leonardo is a terrible monster. He isn't big, he doesn't have a ton of teeth, he isn't weird, and he can't scare anyone. Leonardo decides he will "find the most scaredy-cat kid in the world... and scare the tuna salad out of him!" In the end, Leonardo must make a very big decision between being a good monster or being a good friend.

This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers

Wilfred is absolutely sure he owns his moose, Marcel. Or does he? Can one ever really own a moose?

"One day, as Wilfred discussed their plans for the coming year

on a particularly long walk, he made a terrible discovery..."

[Also, Oliver Jeffers is totally dreamy and will teach you how to draw a moose. Swoon.]

Maude The Not-So-Noticeable Shrimpton by Lauren Child

Everything about the Shrimpton Family is outstanding and they love nothing more than to stand out. All except for their middle child, Maude. Maude blends in, goes unnoticed, disappears. Is blending a talent unto itself? 

So. The Moral of the Stories? The things to remind each other of on difficult days? It is okay to be different from the ones you love, and those differences should be celebrated. It is okay to do some things wrong, especially when acting with good intentions. It is okay to be absolutely positive about something and then change your mind. Most importantly, it is absolutely, positively, more than okay to be you just the way you are. 

We are all okay. Okay? Okay!

[High Fives]