Standing Tall

“Believe in yourself and the world will believe in you too.”

Patty Lovell

I love places where books live.  The girls and I found a gem at our local library called, “Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon” by Patty Lovell, illustrated by David Catrow.  Pip was the one who spotted it;  she was drawn by the illustrations, and when we later read it at home, I knew it would become a family favourite.

Molly Lou is short and clumsy, has buck teeth and a voice that sounds like a bull-frog being squeezed by a boa-constrictor, but she doesn’t mind.  Her grandmother dispenses wonderful bits of wisdom that serve Molly Lou well, even when she has to start in a new school and is picked on by a bully.

Here’s a sampling of Lovell and Catrow’s magic:

“Molly Melon had buck teeth that stuck out so far, she could stack pennies on them.  She didn’t mind.  Her grandma had told her, ‘Smile big and the world will smile right alongside you.’

So she did.”

Charming, right?   It’s a gift to be reading aloud to my daughters and hear words like, “Believe in yourself and the whole world will believe in you too,” coming out of my mouth.  After reading it every night for two weeks, I’m hopeful that the messages in this little book are taking up residence in my daughters’ minds.  (As well as my own!)