Tuesday, 16 August 2016

If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School Don't! and If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach Don't by Elise Parsley

26245095
from goodreads

235075125 stars

As a parent I have come to the understanding that kids aren't going to believe you or at least will take what you say with a healthy dose of skepticism. I don't know why that is. I don't lead them astray, yet with everything I say or try to convey to them I can see their inner dialogue going "sure mom, like that's true".

I am sure I am not the only parent who have kids like that. When you tell them something isn't a good idea, but they have to do it anyway as if it is something to prove. And when you the parent are proven right, it doesn't change things. That skepticism will remain. My hope is that when they are older, perhaps when they have their own kids, it might go a way, at least a little bit. Until then I'll just keep on trucking.

Synospis

These books centre around a girl named Magnolia as she gives us some very sage advice.

My Thoughts
These books are such a fun read. My kids enjoyed reading them and I enjoyed reading them. I even made my husband read the piano one and I heard him chuckle.

The alligator one is more geared to the children's audience. A teacher or school administrator might appreciate it as well. It is still funny and enjoyable on many levels.

My favourite of the two is the one about the piano at the beach. Why? Well first of all it is ridiculous thinking about getting an upright grand to the beach, and that is kind of the point. Second how many times have we said "don't bring that" to our kids and then when they remained insistent we said, "You have to carry it and make sure it doesn't get lost. You are responsible."? The author does a great job at showing the logic behind why we suggest the kids leave their treasures at home. Since the kids laugh at what is going on it shows that they get the logic. It totally gets the whole parent-child struggle of having nice things and then seeing them lost or ruined. This book helps us recognise that the struggle is real and that we are not alone.

I totally recommend these books. Young and old will love them.

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