For Every Child Is Truly Special...

You Are Special is a moving, heartwarming thirty-one page tale by author and Texas minister, Max Lucado. An award-winning writer, with four previous top selling children’s books to his credit; Lucado is considered to be one of Christianity’s most respected and best selling author for children. The beautiful illustrations have an old world charm and muted pallette, having been drawn by the Mexican artist, Sergio Martinez. Other illustrative works by Martinez are such literary classics as Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and A Christmas Carol.

You Are Special does not make reference to specific religious passages, although the overall biblical theme of the acceptance of oneself, regardless of what others may think, and Eli’s similarity to God as the Wemmick’s wise and loving creator were apparent to me upon initial perusal of this lovely tale.

The Wemmicks are small, handcrafted wooden people. These little wooden people are all made with love by a master craftsman named Eli, a giant of a man who lives just outside of the Wemmick village. Eli has made each of his little people with varying attributes, some are fair of face, while others sport large noses or eyes, and so forth. No one wooden creation was exactly like any other. Some Wemmicks can jump high, some know large words, others are talented in various other areas, and yet there are those too that seem to lack any extraordinary skills whatsoever.

In the Wemmick village, all day, every day, the wooden people would place stickers on each other, marking another with their approval or disdain. Each Wemmick carries around a box of gold stars and gray dots to be given to another Wemmick depending on their individual talents, beauty, intelligence, or supposed lack of such attributes.

"The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots."

Punchinello is one such Wemmick deemed untalented by many others of the village. He tries to jump high like the others, but somehow always manages to fall down despite his strong desire to please the others. And with each fall, Punchinello’s wood becomes a little more scratched and his paint further chipped.

Punchinello is so eager to please other Wemmicks who believe him unworthy of gold stars, that in his many failed attempts he soon receives so many gray dots that Wemmicks begin to give him additional dots for no other reason than that he already has several upon his person.

"He deserves lots of dots."
"He’s not a good wooden person." The others would say to each other.

After awhile, Punchinello believes them. Losing his faith and questioning his own self worth; the other Wemmicks must be right if they all gave him gray dots. Punchinello no longer wants to leave his home, and will come out only to visit with other wooden people who have lots of dots. He felt better around them, they were just like him after all, or were they?

One day Punchinello meets a Wemmick unlike any other he has seen before, for this wooden person named Lucia has no stars or dots! It wasn’t that other Wemmicks didn’t try to stick them onto her wood, on the contrary, most of them did. But each did so only to find that the stars and dots would not stick and fell to the ground. You see, some Wemmicks admired Lucia for having no previous marks, and these people would try to give her a gold star. But other Wemmicks looked down upon her for not having any stars and would try to give her gray dots.

This was the way Punchinello wishes to be, for he doesn’t want anyone else’s marks to remind him that he was unworthy of their admiration. And much to his surprise, Lucia tells Punchinello that he could be just like her, all he needed to do was go and visit with the woodcarver, Eli.

"It’s easy," Lucia replied. "Every day I go to see Eli."
"Why?"
"Why don’t you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He’s there.

After a day of reflection, Punchinello musters up enough courage to meet his creator, the craftsman named Eli. It is then that this marred, emotionally damaged Wemmick who tried always to do his best and fell short in the eyes of his peers, learns of Eli’s unconditional love for him.

"Looks like you have been given some bad marks."
"I didn’t mean to, Eli. I really tried hard."

"Oh, you don’t have to defend yourself to me, child. I don’t care what the other Wemmicks think."

"You don’t?"

"No, and you shouldn’t either. Who are they to give stars or dots? They’re Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn’t matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special."

Punchinello ponders Eli’s words, and searches for the truth of what it all means when he states that 'the stickers only stick if you let them'. Take this journey with Punchinello, and find out the meaning of it all right along with this endearing little wooden fellow. It is my belief that you will not be sorry you did, and quite possibly will be forever changed for having done so.

Final Thoughts

One of the reasons I chose to introduce this tale to my six year old daughter at this time was the very subtle way in which this tale delivers its very powerful message. Self esteem, self respect, and loving oneself regardless of any judgments thrust upon you from those who may care not for your overall well being. Eli, the master craftsman and woodcarver who has created the realm of the Wemmick’s can be considered a parent or loved one, or for more religious teachings, even God.

For an older reader, it is conceivable that the tale of the Wemmicks may cause you to reflect upon past actions, and those of others around you. Do we thrust our own ‘marks’ on another merely because they may not appear to be as talented or fair of face as ourselves or another? Do they try hard, only to be beaten down for their efforts, becoming further marred and therefore less worthy in the eyes of those who refuse to see the beauty of our differences?

It is a thought provoking and heartfelt tale sure to please, while giving credence to the trials and tribulations of readers of all ages. My six year old daughter is capable of reading the majority of text within this book, initially needing help with the pronunciation of names and a few of the larger, unfamiliar words throughout. For a child around the age of six on up, this lovely tale may help them to find the courage and the strength within to appreciate all that they have to offer the world; regardless of what judgments a group of peers may or may not thrust upon them. For you see, all children are special, and those who read this book will most likely come away believing and trusting in this very thing about themselves as well.

Related Books By Author

Tell Me the Story
Tell Me the Secrets
The Children of the King
The Song of the King
Because I Love You
Just the Way You Are
Just in Case You Ever Wonder
The Crippled Lamb

Online Book Prices

Amazon - $12.79 October 1997 Hardcover
Amazon/Barnes & Noble - $4.79 September 2000, Board Book, 28 Page Edition
Barnes & Noble - $12.79 May 1997 Hardcover
Barnes & Noble - $15.99 Hardcover September 2000 Edition

Please note: This child’s tale originally appeared within the pages of another of Lucado’s best selling tales for children, Tell Me the Secrets.