"Wry, subtle humour, perfectly observed child psychology and an important message"
The multi award-winning past Children’s Laureate demonstrated, with her best-selling Charlie and Lola series, that she has an exquisite touch in depicting family dynamics, sibling relationships, how children’s minds work and how they talk to each other. In this brilliant new book, her unerring eye might even cause a little discomfort in some families and classrooms.
Caregivers and teachers may recognise that they have unconsciously developed a certain narrative about certain children. Chirton Krauss is a very good child by inclination and his kind nature. His sister Myrtle is never described as good and in a self-fulfilling prophesy, continues not to be good. Her behaviour has consequences (not invited to any parties) but generally she ‘gets away’ with it so that others can have a quiet life.
But the glances and body language of the siblings that Child captures so well, show us very clearly that this is not the whole story. Chirton begins to question the unfairness of this situation since he really, really does not like broccoli (I love how Child captures in many of her books the heightened significance we have given vegetables in our children’s lives).
The consequences of his acting out mean that Myrtle gets a chance to be good (and attend a party for a child, new to the neighbourhood, who does not know her reputation) and in delicious irony gets given a Goody Bag! We realise that Myrtle has been unjustly compartmentalised just as much as Chirton has a reputation to live up to.
This clever and amusing tale will prompt plenty of discussion about behaviour and fairness and it absolutely defends the rights of the child to be themselves and not just our vision of them, as befits a book written by a Unesco Artist for Peace.
Chirton Krauss is a good child - the very goodest. He does everything he is told, when he is told. He even does good things without being told. He eats his broccoli, he goes to bed on time and he never, ever sticks his finger up his nose. Meanwhile, Chirton's sister, Myrtle, is NOT a good child. She stays up late, she never cleans out the rabbit's hutch and she drops her choco puffs all over the carpet!
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Chirton Krauss is a good child - the very goodest. He does everything he is told, when he is told.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Goody and determined it is suitable for children aged 5-8 years old
The Goody features in the following genres: Featured Books for 5+ readers, Featured Books for 7+ readers, Recommendations, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback, Hardback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
The Goody was written by Lauren Child and published by Orchard Books an imprint of Hachette Children's Group
The Goody has 32 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
