Mary Wrightly, So Politely
by Shirin Yim Bridges
illustrated by Maria Monescillo
Harcourt Children’s Books, Boston, 2013. 32 pages.
As someone who had a soft voice as a child, and someone who tried to follow the “rules,” I thought this book was wonderful.
Mary Wrightly was a good, polite little girl who spoke in a small, soft voice. Whenever she asked for something, Mary Wrightly would, so politely, say “Please.” She always, so politely, said “Thank you,” and sometimes even “Thank you very much.”
But when Mary goes shopping with her mother for a toy for her baby brother’s first birthday, things get rough. Other shoppers are grabbing the best toys while her mother talks with a neighbor. When Mary spots the perfect toy, can she speak up loudly enough to save it for her brother?
I love it that a good girl’s featured in this book, but also that it shows that situations can come up where being polite isn’t the answer. The bright colorful illustrations bring you right into Mary Wrightly’s world, with a nice variety of perspectives.
And who knows? Maybe some of Mary Wrightly’s politeness will rub off.
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Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.
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