Mama Bear Book Review: You are Special

by Janette Nuss

“You are Special” by Max Lucado

In the little village of the Wemmicks, wooden people evaluate one another’s worth with dots or stars.

Stars are given for positive attributes such as being attractive, being talented, or perhaps an important leader. Dots, on the other hand, are given to those unfortunate Wemmicks as a reminder of their unimpressive qualities in the eyes of others.

Punchinello, being a fairly clumsy boy, has earned lots and lots of dots. Even as he tries his best to win the approval of the other Wemmicks, he falls short.

Dismayed by the system of shiny stars and shameful dots, Punchinello meets a girl named Lucia. Different than all the others, she has no dots or stars, yet she is content. Upon asking, Punchinello learns that neither stars nor dots stick to her. They just fall off!

Curious, Punchinello listens as Lucia shares about her frequent visits to Eli, the wood carver. As a result of the visits, neither dots nor stars stick.

Inspired by her story, Punchinello decides to visit Eli on his own. Eli, the wood carver, is happy to see Punchinello. Punchinello learns he is special to Eli because Eli, the woodcarver, created him. As Punchinello grows to understand his new identity through the eyes of his maker, his dots begin to fall off.

This book by author Max Lucado is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble Bookstores, and Lifeway.com. King County Library System has chosen to accept two copies of this book to be available for the 50 libraries serving King County.

Mama Bear’s Commentary:

I chose this book because school is beginning for people of all ages.

Television, social media, and other forms of the world’s contemporary culture bombard young people, telling them they are not special. They are “not enough” and deserve dots. In reality, the dots are symbolic of a society turned upside down. Sometimes the dots are invisible. Whether seen or unseen, these dots are very much present. They create anxiety,depriving people of the very essence of who they have been originally designed to become. The pointy edges of the stars can also cause pain. The desire to be “worthy” of stars from others diminishes one’s ability to freely and confidently see the blessings he or she already possesses.

To live as Lucia, visiting and believing what our Maker tells us about ourselves, is the root of true freedom. Only then can we truly be free of dots and stars. Max Lucado’s book reminds the reader that you are special just the way you are! From the top of your head to the tip of your toes, you are beautifully and wonderfully made!

You are SPECIAL because of the One who made you, and He doesn’t make mistakes.