There are many books from our book shelf which we keep going back to and read them again and again. There is one such book, which we have been reading over the last year and a half, ‘My Name is not Alexander’, never can get enough of it.
I love books where the mummy is missing from the plot and the daddy is independently taking care of the child. This causes a stir in Dhruv’s mind and out pops up the question every time, “Where could be his mummy?” This leads us to explore the various possibilities with the mummy being dead (he is 5 but accepts death comfortably as long as it is not occurring in family), could have gone to work or office, could have gone to her mother’s place, could have gone for yoga class and so on. Therefore, I am fond of this book too since it is about a boy named Alexander and his interactions with his father during one whole day.
The concept of this book is ‘Just how big can a little kid dream’. Each time Alexander’s father asks him to do a task, Alexander goes back in time into the American history and comes up with a name of a great person who shaped up America.
When he wakes up in the morning, his father greets him by his name only to be told by the little boy, that “My Name Is Not Alexander…I am Theodore, the greatest, grandest President who ever was!” His father responds by saying, “Well, Theodore park yourself here and save your energy for today’s game.”
Thereafter he tells his father, at various points of time in the day, he is Thomas, Joseph, Fred, Jackie and he wants to be called Daddy too. There are numerous positive adjectives in the book like greatest, grandest, brightest inventor, proudest warrior, smoothest dancer, bravest ball player and coolest daddy. These are helpful in creating a positive self-image in the child and stretches the child’s imagination. I wish to see a book like this replete with Indian historical heroes. May be I will write one, one day.
Although we have read this book several times, this time Dhruv wanted to know in detail more about the big names and the one who interested him the most, with whom he could identify his own relation was Thomas or Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb.
Him: Did people live in the dark before Thomas Edison made the light bulb?
Me: They must be using wick lamps in their homes in those days.
Me: So this bulb in this room giving us light enabling us to read this book is ‘all thanks’ to Thomas Edison.
Him (turning his face to the light): Thank you Thomas Edison for making the light bulb and for removing the darkness.
Next day, he spoke to his Papa on the phone –
Him: Papa, do you know who makes the light bulb?
(With pride emanating from his face) Thomas Edison.
You know he makes the light bulbs and goes to sell them in the shops and then from the shops we buy the bulbs and bring them home.
Did I laugh at this? No, I did not. I was hysterical.
Papa: Thomas can no longer make light bulbs. He died long time ago.
Him: How did he die? Did he die in the hospital? Who took him to the hospital?
Papa’s most convenient answer: Ask Mummy to google about it. She will tell you.
Thus, I was prodded to do the research and to figure out a way to explain diabetes.
There is a similar book for the girls ‘My Name is not Isabella’ where a little girl Isabella imagines herself to be the greatest women from the American history.