Brief Thief
It’s Perfect Picture Books Friday, so here’s my selection:
Brief Thief
Written by Michaël Escoffier
Illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo
Enchanted Lion Books
Translation copyright 2013, Illustration copyright 2009
Fiction
Suitable for ages: 2 and up
Themes/Topics: Doing the right thing, seeking permission, inner voice
Opening Line: This morning Leon enjoyed his breakfast.
Synopsis from Jacket flap: When Leon discovers that all the toilet paper is gone, he must find something else to use. He had no time to lose!
Spying something that looks just right, he goes for it and finished his business.
But what Leon hasn’t counted on is that he’ll begin to hear a little voice whose words will change just about everything.
Link to resources: Doing the Right Thing and Acting With Honesty. All the lesson plans I found were pretty heavy. After reading the book, you may want to talk about what do you do when there is no toilet paper! (This commercial will likely make parents laugh, but this guy finds himself with no toilet paper.)
Why I like this book: Brief Thief is funny. Throw in the beautiful look and feel of this book (thick pages) and it equals picture book magic to me.
It is possible to find random underpants.
Recently, Hubby and son spotted a pair of pink panties on a neighborhood trail.
Kiddo’s response: “Look Daddy somebody lost their underpants. They’ll be cold with no underpants.” No bathroom emergencies on this outing, so they left them — untouched.
My response after reading Brief Thief and loving the ending, “Well, there’s surely a logical explanation for the underpants.”
This New York Times review mentions this French book was originally published under the title of: “Neither Seen Nor Known.” I like the line about the book ending like a good legal thriller. You’ll have to read Brief Thief to find out.
To find more PPBF selections, visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog.
Now that it’s December, I can call myself a WINNER:
I ended the month with 128 ideas written down. I have hopes for about 40 of those.
On Monday, I’ll be back with an entry into Susanna’s Holiday Contest.