THE STRAWBERRY THUMB

by Barbara Klimowicz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 1968

Anna-May was her name, her name Anna-May,/ And what did she do all the livelong day?/ She sucked her thumb, her strawberry thumb,/ Her munchable, lunchable, sucking good thumb."" The quote identifies the problem and exemplifies the verse (Jiggety-jog, for better or worse). Momma and poppa are quietly concerned, big brother is slightly superior (""just babies suck thumbs""), friends play along. Then Grandmother finds an answer in her sewing bag: a finger puppet for the strawberry thumb (with pattern). Call it a cover-up rather than a solution--or, if you're psychologically au courant, call it behavioristic conditioning as an alternative to psychoanalytic understanding. Kids whose thumbs aren't anchored by deep-seated anxiety may find it an out--and it does bring the problem unashamedly out in the open.

Pub Date: Aug. 13, 1968

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Abingdon

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1968

Categories: CHILDREN'S