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Harper & Row Publishers Inc. (1961)

This book is about Chester, a wild horse, who wants someone to love him and take care of him.  He goes around looking for someone who “wants” him, but nobody wants him because he is different.  For example, the chicken doesn’t want him because he doesn’t lay eggs. He travels from place to face trying to find his place.  In the end, he finds his other horse friends and stays with them at stables, being taken care of and loved.  This book is about wanting to belong.  However, I’m not sure I like it because that is all the book revolves around. Usually in these books, there is another message like it's okay to be who you are or acceptance. Yet, this book only sends the message that it is okay to look everywhere for someone who loves you and will take care of you. It does not promote independence or individuality in anyway. I'm not sure if that is a good message to put it the minds of children.

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Goose and Duck by
Jean Craighead George 

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Goose and Duck by
Jean Craighead George 

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HarperCollins Publishers Inc. (2008)

This book starts with a boy, who finds a goose and takes him in.  The goose does everything the boy does.  Then one day, the goose finds a duck. They all do the same things together like eating, sleeping, hopping around,and swimming.  Then one night, while the boy is asleep, the goose and duck go searching for their mothers and find a police man. They stay with him for a day before the little boy finds them and takes them back home. In the fall, the goose and duck see their flocks flying in the sky and knew that they belonged up there.  They leave the boy, who eventually accepts that the goose and duck needed to find where they truly belonged. This book falls under the theme of wanting to belong, because the goose and duck spend the whole novel trying to belong with the boy, but then they realize where they truly belong. However, this book never addresses the negative message of conformity because the goose and duck conform to match the boy, disregarding their identity.  They follow him everywhere and do the same exact things that he does without even thinking twice. This could be problematic because it sends the message to children that it is okay to follow people, even when it’s not the right thing to do.

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It’s Not Easy Being a
Bunny by Marilyn Sadler 

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It’s Not Easy Being a
Bunny by Marilyn Sadler 

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Random House, Inc. (1983)

This book is about a bunny named P.J. Funnybunny, who is sick of being a bunny. He wants to be something different. So, he left his home and searches for a place to belong. He comes to different animals and lives with them for a day or two. However, each group of animals he tries to live with, he finds something he does not like or that he does not fit in with them.  These animals are bears, birds, beavers, pigs, moose, and more.  Finally, he makes his way back home, where his family of Funnybunnies are happy to see him.  He did the bunny things, which he hated in the beginning, but now appreciates them.  This book is great for children because of the illustrations. There are so many pictures of the different types of animals. I think it would keep children engaged and excited because it moves from one animal to another.  It has typical themes like wanting to belong and accepting/loving yourself. P.J. Funnybunny was sad to be the way he was, but he discovered that it was best to be who he truly was.  However, I think this book could potentially send a bad message that you only belong with your own kind. P.J. does not fit in with anyone who is different from him.  It may send a message of homogenous groups or that friend groups have to have a lack of diversity.

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Random House Books for Young Readers (1998)

This book is about a bird who is born while his mom is out finding food. The book revolves around him trying to find his mother, so he can belong. He sets out on a journey to find her. He goes to all these animals and things, asking them if they are his mother. He goes up to a cat, a hen, a cow, a boat, an airplane, and etc. He finally gets put back in his nest by a bulldozer. Then the mom returns and the book ends happy because he found his mother and where he belongs. I think the book has great illustrations and the dialogue is somewhat repetitive, so it is fun for kids to read. This book also focuses around the message of dedication. Even though the bird keeps failing in his search to find his mother, he still pushes ahead and would not stop until he found her.