No, David! – Recognize yourself in David’s shenanigans!

No, David written and illustrated by David Shannon gives a glimpse into the life of a 5-year old who breaks his mother’s rules and hence, is scolded and punished.

David is any 5-year old who tries to reach for the cookie jar kept on the topmost shelf in the kitchen, tracks mud all over the carpet, overflows the bathtub, bangs utensils in the kitchen, plays with his food, eats with his mouth open, picks his nose and jumps on the bed. And, for each of these shenanigans, he gets a lot of exasperated ‘No, David’, ‘Be quiet, David’, ‘That’s enough, David!’ from his mother. The end of the story is beautiful with a little teary-faced David being enfolded in his mother’s arms.

The book has minimal text, but with the illustrations one doesn’t feel the requirement of more words. The pictures say it all. The illustrations are so endearing…with David’s crooked teeth, button eyes and triangle nose. While David looks like a child’s drawing, the background items like the TV, quilt, stuffed toy, suburban street, and the pots and jars on the kitchen sideboard look sharp.

Well, my daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. As I turned page after page, I could see the delight and a hint of ‘aha, that could very well be me!’ on my daughter’s face. My daughter remarked, “Mama, I also do these things na, not all, but some of them. And, then, you say “no” to me, isn’t it?”

Every mother and every child will relate to this story. Because, it’s a story that takes place in every home.

_{Explore the entire collection of articles: Book to read}

_{If you are reading this article on our website and have an Android phone, please download our APP here for a more personalised experience based on your lifestage.}