Oswald the Onion Finds a Friend by Michael Lackey is a cute and quirky picture book that teaches children to be kind!
My Review:
“Oswald knew that he was different from the other kids. He saw how they looked at him.”
Oswald the Onion Finds a Friend is a bright and colorful picture book that everyone can enjoy. No matter how old we are, we all need friends!
The bright and colorful pictures in this book immediately catch the reader’s attention. I was very touched by the story of this young onion on his quest for friendship, and I’m certain that young readers will be as well. During a day at the playground, Oswald searches for another vegetable with which to play. None of the other vegetables (all of whom have cute and clever names that can teach children about alliteration) want to play with Oswald because he is different.
A Fun & Quirky Metaphor
On the surface, this is a story about vegetables, but one doesn’t have to dig very deep to see that this tale is clearly an allegory for childhood bullying and anything that makes us different. Oswald’s story could be the story of any child who is perceived as somehow “other.”
The story of Oswald is powerful because it is a metaphor. The author does not say that it is Oswald’s skin color, religion, or ability level that makes him different. Oswald is simply a lonely onion in need of a friend.
(Although, at this point, the metaphor does become a tiny bit strained because the reason the other children don’t like him is due to the way that he smells. I wouldn’t want to say that any person smells. In the past, I’ve been told that I “smell like rice,” because I’m part Filipino. Nevertheless, I still believe that Oswald the Onion is very cute).
A great book to teach children about empathy!
This would be a great book for parents to read with their children in order to teach them about empathy. I plan on using this book to teach Sunday School in the future. In many ways, Oswald and his friends remind me of Veggie Tales.
I highly recommend this book for parents, families, and classrooms.
Book Details:
Author: Michael Lackey
Publisher: Apollo Publications
Length: 32 Pages
Format: Paperback
Available in paperback from Amazon in paperback and hardcover, as well as in audio!
Follow Michael Lackey
Instagram: @MikeLackey
Author Website: Michael Lackey- Author
I would like to say a very special “thank you,” to the author, who provided a free copy of this book to me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
If you enjoyed Oswald the Onion, then you would definitely enjoy my review of Pika Bunny or Safari Pug!
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Rev. Rebecca Writes 
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