A book to touch your heart whatever your age

Off the Bookshelf by Yvonne Stausboll

Kraainem (13 December 2007).- “You are special” by Max Lucado may have been written for children, but I challenge any adult to read it and not be touched by it.

In a total of 31 pages of text and beautiful illustrations, Max Lucado portrays for us a world of wooden people, named Wemmicks, who spend their time awarding each other stickers of admiring golden stars or demeaning dots, depending on their opinion of each other. The story focuses on one Wemmick named Punchinello, as he struggles with the expectations and judgements of others. Then one day, he meets Lucia, who is different, as she is the only Wemmick he knows with neither stars nor dots stuck onto her. He longs to be like her, liberated from his accumulation of dots, as he continually fails to impress those around him, and his self esteem nose dives. What is Lucia’s secret he wonders?

Lucia then proceeds to encourage Punchinello to go and visit Eli, the woodcarver who has made all the Wemmicks. 

When he finally plucks up the courage to go, he discovers the simple truth of why some people appear to be special and others are not. It is a simple story which speaks straight to the heart, and rapidly draws us back to the essential meaning of our lives and the relationship we have with our Creator. At the risk of giving too much of the story away, Eli tells Punchinello at the end of their encounter, “Remember, you are special because I made you. And I don’t make mistakes.” Doesn’t that sound like somebody else we know!!

It’s a short story which will take minutes of your time to read, but will stay in your heart for far longer. A real must to share with younger children, but not only!!

“You are Special” by Max Lucado, illustrated by Sergio Martinez.

Candle Books Publishers 

ISBN 1-85985-542-3

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