Spoon

By, Amy Krouse Rosenthal 

Illustrated by Scott Magoon

Published in 2009

Spoon is a charming story about a young spoon that thinks everyone else has life better than him, the knife gets to cut and spread and chopsticks are just so exotic. Meanwhile his friends think that spoon has it pretty good too. He gets to be silly and measure things.  As his mother tucks spoon in bed she reminds him of the neat things spoons can do!

Spoon is an inspirational story that children and adults alike can relate to. Everyone has moments when they think the grass is greener elsewhere, or that life is better in another section of the utensil drawer. Some cute little jokes are peppered through the story, like Spoon mentioning that the fork does not go 'stir crazy' and part of the spoon's family history when his great grandmother ran off with a dish. The illustrations are perfect and add humor and emotion to the utensil characters.

I highly recommend Spoon, and think that it will entertain and open the way to discussions about jealousy and appreciating differences in others and seeing the good in ourselves.  Spoon brought a smile to my face and had me thinking of how wonderful it is that we are all unique and we all have a special part to play in the "place setting" that is our world.