Max Lucado's touching story: You are Special

This past weekend we had our newborn son, Lucas, baptized and then hosted a rather large Luncheon where Lucas received a plethora of beautiful, thoughtful gifts. One of said gifts was the beautiful book You are Special by Max Lucado and illustrated by Sergio Martinez.

The Book…

Is about 12 inches by 12 inches hard cover with a beautiful presentation page for the gift giver to fill out. Each two page spread of the 31 page story has one and a quarter page illustration and a three quarter part that is the story.

Though this is sold as a children's book, it is one that can be appreciated by one of any age.

The Illustrations…

by Sergio Martinez are beautifully done with soft lines and gentle colors. Punchinello, the main character, reminded me somewhat of a humpless Quasimodo.

The Story…

Introduces us to Eli the woodcarver and the little village of Wemmicks which he created. Wemmicks are little wooden people, of which no two are alike. They scurry around all day carrying two boxes of stickers: yellow stars and gray dots. To those Wemmicks that can do “special” things, or are extra pretty, other Wemmicks give star stickers. But, alas, to those Wemmicks with peeling paint or clumsy ways, gray dot stickers are given.

One of these gray dot laden Wemmicks is Punchinello, who receives so many gray dot stickers that he is hesitant to even leave his house for fear of doing something silly and receiving yet another gray dot. On one of his rare outings, he meets another Wemmick named Lucia who has absolutely no stickers. When Wemmicks try to stick stickers on her, they don’t stick. Lucado writes It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick. Some admired Lucia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn't stay either. Punchinello thinks that that is how life should be, stickerless, and he works up the courage to ask her what her secret is. She urges him to go and visit Eli, as she does every day.

Though he is afraid Eli won’t want to see him, Punchinello goes anyways and nearly turns away when he is awestricken at the sheer magnitude of the woodcarver’s workshop. Eli stops him though and talks to him. He tells Punchinello Lucia’s secret: Stickers don’t stick on her because she has decided that what I [Eli] think is more important than what they [Wemmicks] think. The stickers only stick if you let them.

Letting this sink in, Eli asks Punchinello to visit Him everyday so he can be reminded that he is special in his maker’s eyes, and that his maker doesn’t make mistakes. The last lines in the book are simple but touching… Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, "I think he really means it." And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.

The message:

If you can’t see it… all Wemmicks are special to Eli, their maker, and if a Wemmick stops caring about what other Wemmicks think, and only about what Eli thinks, and spend time visiting with Eli every day, no marks – good or bad – will be able to stick to him or her.

The author…

You can read more about Max Lucado’s teaching ministry at www.maxlucado.com. He is the author of many religious books, some of which you can download at his website.

My parting thoughts…

This book was so beautiful, a very touching story which my three year old loves. We have had it for about four days and it has been a requested read about twenty times. Isabelle calls it the "Special Book".

I received this book for a religious occasion and think that it is a perfect gift for just such times, but also for no reason at all... just to let someone know that they are special... both to you and God.

The sequel to You are Special is just as sweet: If Only I had Green Nose

My wishes for you: May all your dots be unable to stick, for if given by man, they matter not at all.

~Stefanie