My son Tacky

Have any of you read the children's book Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester? Kael's special ed teacher had mentioned this book to me a long time ago and I only recently got around to checking it out of the library. Oh how I wish I would have checked it out sooner! The idea behind the book is that "It's ok to be different" which is not a new concept but the way it is displayed in this book is just so....Kael.

I love this book and so does Kael. He actually laughed out loud when Tacky sings a silly song in the book. I haven't heard him laugh that hard in years. We read it again and again and again. So here's the quick storyline: there's a penguin named Tacky who doesn't quite fit in with his graceful companions. He greets other penguins loudly, does not dive or march quite as neatly as his friends, and sings loud, silly songs. Then, hunters come for the penguins but Tacky and his odd behaviors trick the hunters into leaving them alone. The last sentence of the book says, "Tacky was an odd bird but a very nice bird to have around."

I just LOVE that. Sure, some of Kael's behaviors are a little quirky. When he gets older he might be seen as a little bit eccentric. I hope everyone who knows Kael thinks, "Kael is a quirky kid, but a very nice kid to have around."

Read the book. And if you happen to see Kael, start singing, "How many toes does a fish have?" and get ready to see the biggest smile ever.