No, David!

No, David!

by David Shannon

When author and artist David Shannon was five years old, he wrote a semi-autobiographical story of a little kid who broke all his mother's rules. He chewed with his mouth open (and full of food), he jumped on the furniture, and he broke his mother's vase As a result, all David ever heard his mother say was "No, David " Here is his story.

From creating crayon drawings on the wall to bouncing on the bed to playing baseball in the house and breaking his mother's favorite vase, the young, rebellious David demonstrates the everyday behaviors that children are not supposed to do. The text is simple and filled with common reprimands such as, "No, David," "Stop that this instant," and "Come back here." Most kids will be familiar with the phrases and may even chime in from time to time. The illustrations are colorful and create a mischievous and yet somehow equally adorable child on his quest for trouble.

Although kids wouldn't find it near as funny if the situations happened to them, watching the story play out as a third party is sure to elicit giggles. It's also a great lesson or reminder for children of what not to do. The ending is sweet, however, with David's mother telling him, "Yes, David. I love you." Telling children that no matter what they do, you will always love them is always a nice reminder. Parents will appreciate this story for its reassurance that regardless of the trouble your child gets in, at least your child is better behaved than David.

About a year ago, I read this story to a boy named David and his younger sisters. He loved the book, of course, because it featured his name. The other children loved it because David represented the things they sometimes wish they could get away with but wouldn't dare try. They enjoyed the opportunity to live vicariously through David and especially giggled at the bare-bottomed picture of David running down the street minus a stitch of clothing.

--Abby