Petra: an endearing tale of optimism
/“Take responsibility of your own happiness, never put it in other people’s hands.”
My kids have a thing for rocks. Our house is full of ‘cool rocks’ that have been picked up nearly every time we go outside. They use them as a phone, a pet, a magic crystal and everything in between. I’m still trying to work out what exactly it is that makes some rocks ‘cool’ and others just a rock. I think in the end it comes down to perception – the potential the kids see in each rock, and there’s an important life lesson in that.
It’s a lesson that is taught in a gentle way in Petra by Marianna Coppo.
Petra may be a rock, but she’s not ‘just’ a rock.
Nothing can move me.
Not the wind. Not time.
I don’t go anywhere.
Everyone else comes to me.
I’m a fearsome, fearless,
mighty, magnificent mountain.’
One day Petra is picked up by a dog and then dismissed as a simple ‘pebble’. Shocked by this news Petra tries to make the best of it with an infectious positive attitude - maybe she’s not a mountain, maybe she’s an egg, or an island. But in the end it doesn’t really matter because:
‘Whatever I become, I’m bound to be amazing!’
It’s a simple and fun tale full of many life lessons and can lead into discussion around thing like:
- How we view ourselves matters
- How we perceive and treat others can have an impact on them
- Our attitude can help us make the best of a situation
- Sometimes we just need to keep trying
- We all have potential – limited only by what we accept
Full of beautiful and expressive artwork that adds character and charisma to a rock, Petra is a beautiful story that would make a wonderful gift.
By Marianna Coppo – Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2018
ages 2 to 8 years | imagination
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