Unruly Children Get a Lesson in Disobeying

I'm a rule follower. I tend to do what I am supposed to do because I don't want to get in trouble for flying in the face of authority. But I wasn't always so cautious. Throughout most of my single digits, I was downright rebellious. Let's Talk About... Disobeying, written by Joy Berry and illustrated by John Costanza, was published especially for kids like me.

Disobeying is part of a virtue-promoting series whose other installments include Being Selfish and Teasing. This was probably my favorite of the three when I was the age of the main character, a short, brown-haired girl with a knack for trouble. She's probably around six or so, old enough to do several things independently, young enough that her parents have laid ground rules for each of those activities.

Some instructions, such as the warnings against playing in the street or touching the oven, are for her own safety. Some, such as the restrictions on pre-dinner snacks, are for her more general well-being, while others, like being told to pick up her toys and play nicely with other children, are instrumental in shaping her into a responsible and considerate young woman.

I always found this book funny and easy to relate to. The girl gets into many messes, most of her own making. She flubs up again and again. But eventually she learns from her mistakes. That's not to say that she will always be obedient in the future, but she has a much better grasp on the consequences of disregarding her parents' rules, and so do the kids reading. Berry also allows for disagreement but encourages children to engage in a reasonable discussion rather than throwing a temper tantrum.

Costanza makes his anti-heroine engaging and lively, both aggravating and sympathetic. Often witnessing her indiscretions is her agreeable orange cat, while her doting but firm mother, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Wilma Flintstone, and her authoritarian but forgiving father, who spends most of his time looking cross and squinty-eyed behind his oversized glasses, are often heard rather than seen but appear on several pages.

Let's Talk About... Disobeying is a good book for driving home the importance of honoring one's mother and father. "Your parents have good reasons for telling you what to do," Berry writes. Listen to them.