Marks that don't matter

“What they think doesn’t matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special.”

You Are Special is a beautiful story that illustrates God’s love for each of His creations. Written by master story teller Max Lucado and beautifully illustrated by Sergio Martinez, this tale will bring a new understanding of love and acceptance to each child that hears it.

The story is about Wemmicks, a group of wooden people carved by Eli the woodworker. Each Wemmick has a box of stickers, some dots and some stars. When a Wemmick does something particularly special, or looks extra beautiful, they are given stars. When one does something foolish, or is chipped or scratchy, he is given a dot. The main character of the story, Punchinello is covered with dots for his many failings. Of course, with each dot that he receives, his self-esteem lowers and he fails even more. Some Wemmicks give him dots just because a Wemmick with so many dots must DESERVE more dots. Punchinello believes this even of himself.

One day, Punchinello meets Lucia, a Wemmick who has no dots or stars. The stickers of the other Wemmicks simply fall off of her. Punchinello wishes that he too were free of all the marks of the Wemmicks. Lucia tells him that he must visit Eli, the woodworker, for he holds the secret to having no marks.

In his visit to Eli, Punchinello learns that the stickers only stick if the Wemmick cares what the others think more than what Eli, the creator, thinks. While Eli tells Punchinello that it will take time for him to understand exactly what that means, with time and frequent visits to Eli’s house, he will find that Eli believes he is special, and that the creator does not make mistakes.

Lucado tells this story in a way that is easy for young children to understand. The language is simple without talking down to the young reader. Some of the names might be intimidating for a young reader, but being able to conquer this will, in and of itself, boost the confidence of a child. The illustrations are very lovely, and this makes a fantastic gift book. The story itself is one that many children will be able to find themselves in. Most have felt the sting of a bad mark against them, and will be able to identify with Punchinello.

It is so easy for each of us to focus more on what others think of us than on what our Creator thinks of us. Because we are made in His image, we are all special to Him. Each child needs to know that he is special to the One who crafted him. Labels can often hurt as much as physical harm, and this book reminds each of us as parents not to use negative labels for our children, but to remember that they each have their own special and unique abilities and gifts. When they know that someone more important loves them unconditionally, the marks that the world may try to put on them will mean less and less. I would recommend You Are Special to parents and non-parents alike. Both children and adults can benefit from this lovely story.