Book Report - "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" by Kevin Henkes
You read that title right. This is a book report about a children’s book.
My wife and I like to read to our children as much as we can. We want to foster a love of reading, increase their vocabulary, and all those other good things that come from reading a good book. Because of that, I’ve read a lot of children’s books. Some of them are pretty decent, others I hate to see the cover of, but rarely do they stand out as something that even I can enjoy.
One exception is “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” by Kevin Henkes. The general premise of the story is that titular character Lilly got a new purse, and she brings it to school to show everyone. She is so excited that she has a hard time paying attention, and her teacher is forced to take the purse for the remainder of the day. She is very upset at first, and says some unkind things to her teacher, but she later apologizes after some consideration.
It’s a situation that most of us can relate to. We get some new toy or gadget that we are infatuated with, and we end up neglecting some responsibility because of it. Sometimes we get called on it, and that hurts a bit. It’s a good lesson that most readers, child and adult alike, can benefit from hearing.
However, the better part of the story in my opinion is her teacher’s response to her unkind words. He doesn’t lash out and administer punishment. He doesn’t even ignore the situation. He confronts it head on, with both kindness and reason. His exact words are, “Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better.”
The more I read the book, the more that quote sinks in and really resonates with me. We all have hard days. It would be naive to think that every day will be peachy. The important thing to realize is that these difficult days will pass. Occasionally, it may be longer than tomorrow, but sometime soon things will be better. And honestly, tomorrow is often enough.
If I have a disagreement with someone, if I say something unkind, or if I’m in just a mental funk, I like to use that quote. It doesn’t ignore the bad parts, but it does give me perspective. I still need to apologize or make amends, but I don’t have to carry that baggage with me. Tomorrow will be better.
Kevin Henkes offers some sage advice, through Mr. Slinger. We could all do well to get some perspective and look toward a brighter tomorrow. Whether you have children or not, I would encourage you to read “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse.” It may be written for kids, but adults can get something from it as well.
Resources:
Henkes, K. (1996). Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. Greenwillow.
One exception is “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” by Kevin Henkes. The general premise of the story is that titular character Lilly got a new purse, and she brings it to school to show everyone. She is so excited that she has a hard time paying attention, and her teacher is forced to take the purse for the remainder of the day. She is very upset at first, and says some unkind things to her teacher, but she later apologizes after some consideration.
It’s a situation that most of us can relate to. We get some new toy or gadget that we are infatuated with, and we end up neglecting some responsibility because of it. Sometimes we get called on it, and that hurts a bit. It’s a good lesson that most readers, child and adult alike, can benefit from hearing.
However, the better part of the story in my opinion is her teacher’s response to her unkind words. He doesn’t lash out and administer punishment. He doesn’t even ignore the situation. He confronts it head on, with both kindness and reason. His exact words are, “Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better.”
The more I read the book, the more that quote sinks in and really resonates with me. We all have hard days. It would be naive to think that every day will be peachy. The important thing to realize is that these difficult days will pass. Occasionally, it may be longer than tomorrow, but sometime soon things will be better. And honestly, tomorrow is often enough.
If I have a disagreement with someone, if I say something unkind, or if I’m in just a mental funk, I like to use that quote. It doesn’t ignore the bad parts, but it does give me perspective. I still need to apologize or make amends, but I don’t have to carry that baggage with me. Tomorrow will be better.
Kevin Henkes offers some sage advice, through Mr. Slinger. We could all do well to get some perspective and look toward a brighter tomorrow. Whether you have children or not, I would encourage you to read “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse.” It may be written for kids, but adults can get something from it as well.
Resources:
Henkes, K. (1996). Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. Greenwillow.
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