Picture Book Spotlight: My Name Is Elizabeth
My Name Is Elizabeth by Annika Dunklee, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe.
A frequent request from Miss Rilla these days. The young heroine’s righteous indignation—her friends and neighbors will keep calling her nicknames—speaks to my five-year-old’s little-sister heart. There’s a hint of imperious Eloise in Elizabeth’s not-entirely-polite exasperation with the folks who insist on greeting her as Liz, Lizzy, Betsy, or Beth—and we all know how much small girls adore Eloise.
At last Elizabeth can bear it no longer: her full name bursts out, a bellowed plea to the neighborhood. The message gets through. No more Lizzy, no more Beth. Elizabeth she is, and Elizabeth she shall be. Well—except to a certain baby brother who can’t quite wrap his mouth around that grand name. But that’s all right. Like my Rilla, who belly-chuckles at this part of the book every time, Elizabeth makes allowances for little brothers. That’s my favorite part of the book, too, an affectionate twist that leaves you with a grin.
I haven’t road-tested this one on my boys yet. Wonderboy’s an Elephant-and-Piggie man all the way, and Huck, well, he’s still busy counting the trucks and trains in The Little House.
Annika Dunklee, books my five-year-old loves, Matthew Forsythe, My Name Is Elizabeth, Picture Book Spotlight, Rillabooks
monica says:
my Rilla-age boy is loving a Mem Fox book- Where is the Green Sheep? Adorable pics, repeated, predictible text and a twist ending. A perfect beginner book.
On February 22, 2012 at 7:35 pm
Kathy says:
I think my secondborn will love this one. Will look out for it!
On February 22, 2012 at 11:31 pm
Elizabeth says:
This is a little unnerving. I am an Elizabeth who hated the nicknames, and finally got away from them when I started college. Now I wonder if someone is going to give me this book as a joke.
On February 23, 2012 at 12:21 pm