Just a Little Different

Tonight we read "Just A Little Different" by Gina and Mercer Mayer. I remember reading the Little Critter books as a child, and this is not my favorite in the series as an adult. (As a child, my favorite was probably the "Just My Dad and Me" one that my brother hated after I was born.) It's a story about a critter named Zach who is half turtle and half rabbit who gets left out because he's a little different.

One critter tries to include him, but the other critters aren't welcoming. The wise mom said, "Being different is good. Our differences make us special." So the one critter continues being his friend, finds common interests and eventually the other critters warm up to Zack.

Life lessons in a book about critters.

The lessons from the story could apply to anything that makes people be viewed and treated differently, whether it's race, gender, disability or any other factor. The moral is simply that differences aren't bad and that we can find common ground with others who may seem different.

My favorite part while reading the story tonight was when I asked AJ what he would do if someone told Teddy that he couldn't do something because he was too different. His response, "I'd stand up for him."

Sweet dreams, my boys. Sweet dreams.