A Bad Case of Stripes

A Bad Case of Stripes
David Shannon
Scholastic
Copyright 1998
Pages: 32
Ages 4-8
Genre: Picture book

Summary:
Camilla Cream is a little girl who loves lima beans. But instead of eating them, she pretends to hate them so she can fit in with her friends. While getting ready for the first day of school, she looks in the mirror and sees herself covered in stripes! She was the color of the rainbow. She tells her mother that she feels fine, but no one can deny the existence of her stripes. Dr. Bumble comes to see her and declares that she is fit for school. The next day Camilla goes to school only to change into the colors of the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. The children make fun of her all day. The evening the principal calls to tell Mrs. Cream that Camilla is a distraction and will need to stay home. The Next day Mrs. Cream called Mr. Bumble. He arrived with four people in white coats who all tried to cure Camilla. Each one gives her a different pill. The next morning Camilla woke up feeling fine! Until she got dressed. None of her clothes fit. She was in the shape of a giant pill. The finest scientific minds came to observe her but she only got worse. Camilla stayed home all day while the Creams were swamped with helpers. Nothing worked. One day, Camilla even became her room. Her mouth was her bed, her eyes were the paintings on her wall and her dresser was her nose. It seemed it was getting worse. When things seemed their worst, there was a knock on the door. A little old lady stood at the front door and asked to help. She went to Camilla’s room and offered her lima beans. At first she refused. But then she accepted them and immediately turned back into herself. Camilla learned a valuable lesson. While some people thought she was weird, she was able to be herself.

Who would benefit from reading this?
I think anyone who is having a hard time being themselves around others would benefit this book. Or even a child who loves lima beans!

Potential Problems:
I think a potential problem may be that she is in her underwear throughout the book.

My reaction:
I thought it was a cute book with a nice message about being yourself.