Best of All

A sweet allegory about differences and acceptance. The characters are wooden puppets called Wemmicks. Prejudices arise and the Wemmicks, made of different woods, begin to believe that certain woods are superior to others. Poor Punchinello is made of willow - deemed to be the weakest, most inferior wood of all. But Punch has a talk with the puppet-maker (analogous to God) and decides he is not inferior after all. In the end his willow characteristics manage to save the day. Sweet and subtle. No Christian sledge-hammers here. I like it very much and recommend it.

This book is about the Wemmicks, and Punchinello. They have a famous Wemmick coming to town, and she is the best of all. She makes it so that the wemmicks start to separate themselves due to their wood that they are made from. Puch is willow and everyone looks down on him as a weaker wood. Eli comes to talk to him and makes him realize that he is worth as much as any other wemmick. Then he ends up saving Bess, the celebrity. This book as well would be a great read aloud to help teach others that we are all different, but we are all equal.

Thrift store find. I was a little lost at the beginning, but that makes sense now that I learn there are earlier Wemmick books. Cute illustrations, important message poorly done (too preachy).