"Where's My Blankie?" (10/12)

Title: "Where's My Blankie?"

Author: Anna H. Dickson

Illustrator: Carol Nicklaus

Ages: 4-8

Rating: 5

Type: Picture Book

Summary: This picture book is about Malcolm Monster who is reluctant to go anywhere without his blankie until one day he leaves at his Grandma's house. Malcolm is faced with the struggle of learning how to live his life without his beloved blankie. 

My favorite thing about this book is that it shows how Malcolm matures. In the beginning of the book Malcolm would not go anywhere without his blankie. Even when his parents told him that he should leave the blanket at home because he is a "big monster" he would still bring it anyway. Then he leaves the blanket at his grandma's house and he is without the blanket for a couple of days until his grandma is able to mail it to him. The first day without the blankie Malcolm was waiting around for the mailman and the blankie didn't come. By the second day Malcolm forgets all about this blanket and doesn't even open the package right away when his mother gives him the package. It is nice to read about this little monster growing and maturing. We learned that part of being a good book is having a character that changes and grows from the beginning to the end. That is why I think this book is so good because we watch Malcolm struggle and then mature through the loss of his blankie. 

I also really like this book because I had a blanket when I was a child and I would not go anywhere without it. Mine looked a lot like Malcolm's too. It  was all torn and ripped but I didn't mind. I had a similar experience to Malcolm as well except my mom hid my blanket from me because she thought I was getting too old to have one. At first it was really hard but then gradually day after day I just sort of forgot about it. I think a lot of children and parents can learn and relate to this book. Which always makes it a good book, the fact that readers can make an emotional connection to Malcolm's experience. 

The illustrations also really stood out to me. There is one page where it says. "Malcolm Monster never played anything without his blanket. He played camping out. He played Supermonster." When reading those lines I would assumed that he is just holding the blanket while playing these things. Then you look at the illustrations and you see that the blanket is the prop in both of these games. In camping the blanket is hung from a rope and is used as a tent. In Supermonster  the blanket is hung around his neck and is being used at a cape.