Thumb Love

by Elise Primavera

Overview

Lulu was a thumb sucker. She and her thumb were very happy together—in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, Lulu and her thumb were best friends.
 
Despite the urging of her family and the teasing of her friends, Lulu just would not give up her thumb-sucking habit. That is, until one day . . . when Lulu made up her mind to stop. And to help herself and thumb suckers all over the world, Lulu developed a program—one with steps. Twelve steps, to be exact. Join Lulu in her quest to kick the habit as she goes through the steps in this funny and insightful picture book.
 
Told in a light-hearted manner and filled with good humor about a universal and important concern, Thumb Love will be embraced by parents and caregivers alike. This is not an issue book but a story that will resonate with anyone who is—or was—a kid.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375983368
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/12/2010
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	48
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Elise Primavera has been writing and illustrating children’s books for more than twenty-five years. She has received numerous awards for her work, and in 2004 she was asked to illustrate the Christmas Brochure for the White House. Her bestselling book Auntie Claus has sold almost a half a million copies and inspired two sequels. She lives in Red Bank, New Jersey.
 

Editorial Reviews

With peer, family, and orthodontic pressure bearing down her, Lulu might as well face it: she's addicted to Thumb--"her wonderful, beautiful Thumb." But kicking the habit is a lot harder than she anticipates, especially when the anthropomorphized Thumb is so seductive. "I've missed you so much--meet me behind the couch," she tells it during a moment of weakness. But Lulu sticks to her, um, gums, and while she suffers setbacks, she finally triumphs. And boy, is it worth it: "...nobody would EVER call her a baby again, her teeth were right where they were supposed to be, and she would be able to say ‘She sells seashells by the seashore' as well as anyone." Primavera's fans will find a lot to love in this coming-of-age-story meets 12-step manual ("Step 10: Suggest to your parents that they reward you with money, toys, pets, and lavish vacations if you quit"). And while the illustrations--mostly vignettes--feel a world away from the lavishness of her Auntie Claus series, they make their point with wit, empathy, and frisky color. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 2—Lulu is a contented thumb sucker, but in response to her family's and friends' concerns, she develops a 12-step program that helps her to kick the habit. She spends part of the story torn between those who want her to quit and her anthropomorphic thumb, which pleads with her to continue. She endures comments, snickering, and old peer pressure as she enjoys sucking her thumb. Lulu's turning point occurs after she awakes from a disturbing dream in which she has buckteeth and her "s's" come out as "th's." By the end of the story, she has gained enough confidence to help other kids say good-bye to the habit as well. Colorful cartoon illustrations and occasional speech bubbles complement the amusing text. This humorous story is best suited for kids who have already moved beyond thumb sucking and are ready to laugh about it.—Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO

School Library Journal

This tongue-in-cheek self-help book will keep readers in giggles while offering sound advice. Lulu is supremely unperturbed by her thumb-sucking. Friends and family unsuccessfully campaign to convince Lulu to kick the habit, pointing out the many pitfalls of prolonged thumb love. A dream sequence involving wildly protruding teeth and exaggerated lisping ultimately compels Lulu to make a change, though. The result is Lulu's hilarious 12-step program for thumb suckers, a meeting of which ("Hello. My name is Lulu and I'm a thumb sucker") opens the book. Her injunctions range from sincere to silly as Primavera deftly intersperses prudent counsel with wry humor. However, underneath the raillery lies Lulu's message of perseverance. Her steadfast determination despite her missteps encourages readers to be resolute. The full-color cartoon illustrations are whimsically over the top. Lulu's thumb has a miniature face and personality of its own, complete with speech bubbles providing its commentary. This witty tale is a treat for all readers (and their thumbs, too).(Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews