Spoon

Spoon is a lovely story about a spoon who leads a happy life within a large family, but begins to feel “blue” when he starts comparing his life to that of his friends Knife and Fork. Little does he realize, Knife and Fork think Spoon’s life is pretty great.

Spoon has a chat with his mother who points out all of the good things about his life. He becomes so excited about his life again that he can’t sleep, so his parents welcome him to snuggle in bed with them, showing a warm and caring family environment.

The book teaches children to recognize all the good things in their own lives, a valuable lesson for the times when kids get envious of friends who seem to have more fun. The illustrations humanize each of the utensils and give them real personality.

From the perspective of gender, it is also very good. There is a mix of male and female characters in Spoon’s extended family. It is also pointed out that his great-grandmother was an “adventurous” sort who fell in love and ran away with a dish to a distant land. Among Spoon’s friends, Knife is male and Fork is female. Fork is shown diving into the flames on a barbecue and lassoing spaghetti around her head. Spoon’s mother is the main caregiver in the story, but his father is there and part of the family.

Overall, a sweet story with a good lesson by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Ages preschool and up.