“The Invisible Boy”
by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton.
Alfred Knopf, New York, 2013, 40 pages, K-1.
Friendships are some of the most important parts of people’s lives. Through friendships we gain love, self-respect and acceptance. People don’t usually need multiple friendships, but they all need one or two good friendships.
Parents are particularly anxious when their children go to primary school. When children go to school, and away from the comfort of the family, many challenges emerge. Will the children be successful in school? Will they be frightened? And most of all, will they find some friends?
Trudy Ludwig tells a touching story of one little boy’s first days in school. At first, he finds no friends and feels lost and alone. Later, he will connect with two boys, and his world will change. The name of this lovely story is “The Invisible Boy.”
Brian is shy and unathletic. While playing games during recess, no one ever picks him for a team. This leaves him hurt and alone. He thinks he is invisible. At lunch, the other children do not include him in their conversations and never share their desserts with Brian. Not knowing what else to do, Brian begins drawing fantastic pictures of pirates and superheroes. These pictures comfort the lonely child and give him a way to express his feelings.
One day, a Korean boy named Justin joins his class. The teacher introduces the child to the students and encourages them to make him welcome. At lunch, Justin eats his Korean beef with chopsticks. The other students make fun of him, making him feel rejected. However, Brian welcomes Justin and writes him a special note, putting it in his cubby. The next day, Justin reads the note and becomes elated. He goes over and thanks Brian for his kindness. At recess that day, as the children pick teams, Brian is again left by himself. One child asks Justin to join his group. But remembering his note, he wants to be kind to Brian. It is time to change things.
What does Justin do? Does he reach out and accept Brian? How does Brian react to the offered friendship? How do simple acts of kindness have such a powerful effect? To find the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out this beautiful story, “The Invisible Boy” by Trudy Ludwig.
This picture book will tug at your heart strings. You just want to hug Brian and tell him you care for him. But as he is rejected time and time again, readers will almost be moved to tears. The powerful conclusion will simply fill you with joy.
This is reminiscent of the award-winning story for older children, “The 100 Dresses” by Eleanor Estes. I hope you get a chance to read this book with your class or your family. It is little wonder that teachers judged it as a best book for primary grades. It is a moving story. Highly recommended.
