A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 292

Terrific Trio: Book 3

Picture Book: Sorry!

Author: Trudy Ludwig

Illustrator: Maurie J. Manning

Summary: Jack is the narrator of this story of older elementary or middle school children. He is concerned and confused regarding his friend Charlie who gets out of the frequent trouble he causes by insincerely saying that he’s sorry. Repeatedly, Jack sees adults accept Charlie’s insincere apologies. Charlie is a bully so Jack doesn’t want to alienate him. When Charlie pressures Jack into quickly throwing a water balloon at a neighbor, Jack feels uncomfortable even after apologizing. Later Jack does nothing to stop Charlie from damaging a former friend’s science project. When confronted by a teacher and required to replace the damaged parts, Jack complies quickly and Charlie complains. Once the science project is restored, Jack chooses to make friends again and helps clean up the mess Charlie made despite Charlie’s invitation to go shoot some hoops.

Hanna’s Comments: This last book in a PBT Terrific Trio of books with the same title is more sophisticated than the first two books. Here you have some manipulative and complicated human dynamics that elementary aged children will definitely find familiar. Aspects of the plot include peer pressure, alienation, bullying, compensation, vandalism, and even some violence. In the back of this book, you’ll find a detailed Afterward by a psychiatrist, Dr. Aaron Lazare, A Note from the Author, Discussion Questions, and Apology Do’s and Don’ts. Adults who interact with children and youth in faith communities must realize that bullying and peer pressure are often present in those contexts. In fact, such behaviors can sometimes cause more harm in these contexts because the bullying behavior conflicts dramatically with the lessons that are being taught. Also, adults might be viewed as supremely naïve or as hypocritical. 

Original Publisher & Date of Publication: Tricycle Press, 2006Tricycle Press, 2006

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 6 and up, 1^st and up

# of Pages: 32

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present

PBT Category: Post 2k

PBT Topics this Book connects with: belonging, choices/decisions, change, communication, confession, conflict, emotions/feelings, forgiveness/mercy/redemption, greed/selfishness, guilt, pride, relationships

Scripture Connections: Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16); if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book when talking to elementary children about authenticity in confession and apology to friends, family, and to God.