Thumb Love [Hardcover]

Elise Primavera (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 12, 2010 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years

Lulu was a thumb sucker. She and her thumb were very happy together—in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, Lulu and her thumb were best friends.
 
Despite the urging of her family and the teasing of her friends, Lulu just would not give up her thumb-sucking habit. That is, until one day . . . when Lulu made up her mind to stop. And to help herself and thumb suckers all over the world, Lulu developed a program—one with steps. Twelve steps, to be exact. Join Lulu in her quest to kick the habit as she goes through the steps in this funny and insightful picture book.
 
Told in a light-hearted manner and filled with good humor about a universal and important concern, Thumb Love will be embraced by parents and caregivers alike. This is not an issue book but a story that will resonate with anyone who is—or was—a kid.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 2–Lulu is a contented thumb sucker, but in response to her family's and friends' concerns, she develops a 12-step program that helps her to kick the habit. She spends part of the story torn between those who want her to quit and her anthropomorphic thumb, which pleads with her to continue. She endures comments, snickering, and old peer pressure as she enjoys sucking her thumb. Lulu's turning point occurs after she awakes from a disturbing dream in which she has buckteeth and her “s's” come out as “th's.” By the end of the story, she has gained enough confidence to help other kids say good-bye to the habit as well. Colorful cartoon illustrations and occasional speech bubbles complement the amusing text. This humorous story is best suited for kids who have already moved beyond thumb sucking and are ready to laugh about it.Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Dedicated to thumb suckers the world over, this story tells of Lulu’s addictive relationship with her thumb and how she gave it all up and invented a program with steps to keep her on track and to help others. Although Lulu’s habit brings tsk-tsking from adults and taunts from children, her thumb reassures her that thumb sucking is the best thing. After a bad dream in which she is bucktoothed and has impaired speech, Lulu begins to doubt that their intense relationship is such a good thing and so founds a 12-step-like program for thumb suckers. Lulu takes the audience through her humorous 12 steps, citing some comical consequences, such as smoke coming out of her ears when trying to follow step 5 (Before going to bed, dip the Thumb . . . in Tabasco sauce). Lightly colored cartoon-style illustrations flawlessly convey the action of the tongue-in-cheek text. Ilene Cooper’s Jake’s Best Thumb (2008) is another sweet tale about a worried thumb sucker. Preschool-Grade 2. --Randall Enos

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Robin Corey Books (October 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375844813
• ISBN-13: 978-0375844812
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 0.3 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elise Primavera has been writing and illustrating children's books for more than twenty-five years. She has received numerous awards for her work and in 2004 she was asked to illustrate the Christmas Brochure for the White House. Her bestselling book AUNTIE CLAUS has sold over half a million copies. Elise wrote her first novel the popular SECRET ORDER OF THE GUMM STREET GIRLS in 2006. Her latest book LIBBY OF HI HOPES is an illustrated novel due to arrive 2012. For more information visit www.eliseprimavera.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My childs favorite book and no more thumb sucking! July 26, 2011

By daisy

Format:Hardcover

I checked this book out at the library about 6 months ago for my 3 year old daughter who loved her thumb. We all really enjoyed the book and laughed all the way through it. My daughter requested the book over and over again. The family often talked about the book and laughed about it even we were not reading it. Some parts are hilarious. I returned the book to the library and continued to gently talk to my daughter about the damage that her thumb was doing to her teeth and her speech. Even though my daughter's teeth were starting to stick out and her awesome speech was starting to change because of the thumb sucking, everyone said that there was nothing I could do about her thumb and to leave her alone about it. A few months later, I checked the book out again for her. She was so happy to see it. That night we read the book and my daughter (on her own) tried a few of the steps to stop sucking her thumb. She also announced that she was ready to give up her thumb. Just like in the book. So, to help her, I bought her some princess Band-Aids from the drug store to place on her thumbs as reminders. After two weeks she was done with the thumb (1 month before her 4th birthday) and she told me that she did not need the Band-Aids anymore. This book helped empower her to stop sucking her thumb. I think she was also surprised to hear all those things that we told her about her thumb mentioned again in the book. Instead of keeping the thumb issue quiet, we read about it, laughed about it, and gently... on my daughters terms ...faced it head on. What an awesome book for thumb suckers and their families. She still loves the book and begs me not to return it to the library. I am buying it today as a keepsake for her.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a charmingly adorable tale about Lulu, a little girl who sucks her thumb ... April 7, 2011

By D. Fowler TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Lulu and her Thumb were very happy together. She smiled at she sat on a log smile at it and when she said, "I love you," to Thumb it said, "Ditto" in return. There really was nothing quite like having a companion all the time. Of course Thumb was special and it was a comfort to have her around whether Lulu was at the beach or cuddled up in a chair reading a book. Thumb even came along to her birthday party. Her mother was placing the cake with four candles on a beautifully set table. There were gifts just waiting to be opened and Lulu and Thumb watched from underneath the table.

Everything was fine until her grandmother whipped up the tablecloth and asked Lulu "a disturbing question." "Don't you think you're too old for that thumb?" Excuse me? Lulu and Thumb were quite appalled by the question (and a bit chagrined to say the least). Later she took her fuzzy wuzzy blue blanket and Thumb back to her chair to watch television. It was disturbing that other children "snickered" and some even poked fun of her at the beach. Waaaaah! Thumb simply disagreed with all that nonsense, but even her mother was starting to say things like, "That thumb is going to make your teeth stick out someday." That night when her cousin Lili began to poke fun of her, Lulu "felt sad and alone." She loved Thumb, but what could she do? Were people right about her teeth?

This is a charmingly adorable tale about Lulu, a little girl who sucks her thumb. Of course little Lulu, like many children, has gone beyond the age where thumb sucking is cute and is starting to impact her speech and possibly her bite. This book presents a little "self-help" program for children to think about and possibly help themselves to quit the habit. The solution adds just the right amount of humor and realism so as not to offend the little reader. The artwork is adorable and the "duh" scene when Lulu is caught sucking her thumb under the table will strike home with many people. This is a very popular book with those who have a Thumb in these parts. If you have a little one with a Thumb, you may wish to consider this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Thumb Love Approaches Addiction with Humor May 23, 2013

By Ash

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have an almost seven year old daughter. She was a thumb sucker. But, my husband and I began our campaign with this book to help her cease that behavior. I am very pleased to say that our efforts have met with success! No thumb sucking for 2 months now.

This book is not a how to guide. It is humorous and acknowledges that this is addictive behavior (anyone who is friends with Bill W. will recognize a few phrases). If your child is a very literal thinker then this is probably not the best book for them. But, we used the relationship detailed in the book between Lulu (the protagonist) and her thumb to help my daughter write letters and say good-bye to her thumb. Also, as we read and re-read the book we discussed differences in the way Lulu related to her thumb sucking vs. my daughter. For example, Lulu sucks her thumb at the beach. My daughter thought this was disgusting. (Sand in the mouth!) We used her feelings of disgust regarding that particular behavior to explain how although we can't see germs they are going in her mouth when she sucks her thumb, just like the sand went in Lulu's mouth.

If you have an imaginative child with a thumb sucking addiction then I recommend this book to you.