Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox
How much we enjoyed this book was a complete surprise. It was a random pull by my little one as we were walking down an aisle in the library, but I never say no if she wants to read a new story (unless I absolutely have to censor it), so we read it and everyone loved it - though I’m not entirely certain why we all loved it.
The gist of the story is clear by the title. We may have loved it due simply to nostalgia. Chicken pox is rapidly disappearing, yet both parents in this house clearly remember having it, the itchiness, the hands in oven mitts, the pink calamine lotion and so on. However, my little one loved it too and my little one has never had or known anyone to have chicken pox.
Chicken pox nostalgia aside, the book is well done, both story and illustrations. The story is written with a cadence and rhyme that is difficult to do well. There’s lots of cameos by characters from other childhood stories that were all integrated into the story well, which was fun all of us. The illustrations are well done and cute. There’s also a nostalgic feel to the illustrations and print layout of the book, which I have no idea if it was on purpose as the characters hail from childhoods generations ago and many parents (as we did) look back on having chicken pox and somewhat romanticize the old traumatic childhood rite of passage.
As a bonus, the story was even a great little conversation starter about a shot my little one got at the doctor and how even though it hurts, it helps keep her body healthy and strong.
Cautions: The only thing we noticed is little brother is not nice to Goldie Locks, he teases her and draws on her face.
