My Thumb

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy Library, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 10, 2017

Review

Starting with a lovely, bright cover of a girl happily sucking her thumb, this picture book by Karen Hesse goes on to extol all of the virtues of this most suckable digit, its deliciousness, companionship, and comfort. Though mostly an ode to the thumb, there are a few downsides: it is difficult to run or eat a plum, and "sometimes you get kind of numb, and waterlogged, and aren't much fun." The positive tone is reassuring to those thumbsuckers who are not often represented in children's books (most book explain why they should STOP sucking their thumb). The pictures by Deas are clear and colorful, almost Schulz-like (think a thumb-sucking Sally or Peppermint Patty), and illustrate the story perfectly. The rhyme does feel trite in places, with some rhymes crafted to fit the story, "you, thumb, apply your high IQ / and see us through to start anew," but as a simple story to reinforce the -oo and -um sounds, and with its aim at a common though seldom-written about childhood experience, this is a solid addition to a public or school library.

Overall Book Score: very good