One of the prevalent themes in literature involves the protagonist overcoming obstacles. Chris P. Bacon: My Life So Far is a light and hopeful story based on a real-life pig that has hind legs that don’t work. Chris P. is adopted by his vetenarian, Len Lucero (one of the two authors of this story) who designs a contraption, with wheels, a base and straps so that Chris P. has an easier time moving around. As a result of Len setting up a Facebook page that chronicles Chris P.’s life, many people, including people who have unique physical abilities/challenges have been charmed or inspired by the pig.
This book is really short and is able to maintain the attention of little toddlers, in part because the story is told from Chris P.’s point of view. For older kids, this book might leave them wanting to read and know more. This can be a good thing, especially since there will be a sequel to this book relating Chris P.’s adventures. This book provides what the full title of the book states as “my life so far” and that is, a brief overview of what Chris P.’s life has been since Dr. Len took him in. It’s a cute book.
Personally, I wish there was more depth to this book or perhaps more literary elements that would make it memorable through the use of repetition, alliteration or assonance such as in the case of other books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Additionally, this book could be enhanced by giving Chris P. even more emotional depth so that we get a glimpse not only on his great life, but also his daily challenges. Since there is no conflict, drama, resolution or life-changing lessons to the story, this book can be compared to seeing a snapshot, instead of enjoying a video. Both can be good, but one is definitely more dynamic than the other, and as we all know, children like to engage with dynamic literature, events and people. My favorite Hay House childrens book that is savvy and purposeful enough for adults is Incredible You! 10 Ways to Let Your Greatness Shine Through by Dr. Wayne Dyer. I recommend that you take a look at Dr. Dyer’s book since the prose is great, the illustrations are lovely and the legacy/impact that the book can leave is profound. It’ll be interesting to see what the 2nd Chris P. Bacon book is like.
I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for review purposes.
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Have you read or heard about Chris P. Bacon? What do you like about Chris P. the pig or Chris P. Bacon the book? Have your children enjoyed learning about Chris P.?
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