The Fun Thieves, written and illustrated by Carli Valentine, offers a quick, yet thought-provoking lesson on the power of our attitude.
The book starts with a young girl who is trying to have fun when the “fun thieves” ruin her good time. The tree steals her kite, rain steals her ball game, sickness steals her party, it’s like she can’t win.
But with a quick reframing of the situation, she realizes her attitude might just hold the power to turn her day around! Looking at it differently, she considers that the tree offers her shade, sickness teaches her gratitude, everything, it seems, offers a silver lining.
The story sums it up by explaining, “Changing the way you look at things can make big frustrations seem small.” It encourages readers to consider not only what is taken from them in any situation, but also what is given.
The Fun Thieves Review
I absolutely adored the moral of this story. It’s a concept that many adults have yet to grasp! If our children can learn it at a young age, I firmly believe it will change the trajectory of their lives.
The author presented the lesson in a way kids can easily connect with and included some of their biggest frustrations, such as weather and sickness ruining fun plans. These are very real and frequent experiences that parents can not only chat about while reading the book, but can also refer back to the book when their children inevitably run into the “fun thieves” of life.
I also appreciated the book’s brevity. Many important lessons are lost on children because they turn into long speeches that lose their interest.
In contrast, most of the pages in The Fun Thieves carry only one sentence, with the most text-heavy page weighing in at three sentences. This gives kids breathing space to read, reflect on the words, study the illustrations, and chime in on the conversation.
The illustrations were fun and incredibly relatable, with the girl’s face (and her dog’s face!) reflecting the emotions all children experience. My eight-year-old’s favorite part of the illustrations was the girl’s dog, who first barked angrily at the fun thieves, then joined in his owner’s ephiphany. You just can’t beat a cute dog!
Overall, this is a fun and easy read that carries an important message for all children (and adults). You can find the book on Amazon and can follow author Carli Valentine on her website, Facebook, and Instagram.
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