Not I!

Am I the only person who finds the Prodigal Son story frustrating? Most people hear the tale of a wayward child, come home from the world back into his loving father’s arms, and get a warm feeling inside for the message of redemption it tells. I hear that too, but the more prevalent message this oldest child, good kid takes away is that making good choices and following the rules gets you nothing while doing whatever you want, making a giant mess of your life, and breaking the hearts of everyone who loves you requires only an apology and everything is hunky-dory again. That sounds bitter, doesn’t it? But I have a point, right? Or “nice guys finish last” wouldn’t be a phrase that makes so much sense. There are a number of examples of this idea in fables, literature and popular culture, but the one that most speaks to me is the story of the Little Red Hen--that long-suffering, bread-baking chicken who eventually gets her vindication in the form of a piping hot slice of payback. I think that last part is what appeals to me the most. But sometimes even the classics can use some spin. In Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel’s Cook-A-Doodle-Doo!, the Big Brown Rooster, great-grandson of the Little Red Hen, gets fed up with chicken feed--and even more fed up with friends who want goodies without doing the work. So, he gets some new friends who do help--and everyone eats to their heart’s content.

http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Doodle-Doo-Janet-Stevens/dp/0152019243

http://www.harcourtbooks.com/authorinterviews/bookinterview_stevens.asp