The Best Story

The best story is one that comes from the heart The library is having a contest for the best story, and the quirky narrator of this story just has to win that rollercoaster ride with her favorite author! But what makes a story the best?

Her brother Tim says the best stories have lots of action. Her father thinks the best stories are the funniest. And Aunt Jane tells her the best stories have to make people cry. A story that does all these things doesn't seem quite right, though, and the one thing the whole family can agree on is that the best story has to be your own.

Anne Wilsdorf's hilarious illustrations perfectly capture this colorful family and their outrageous stories in Eileen Spinelli's heartfelt tale about creativity and finding your own voice.

Children's Literature

When our young narrator sees the notice of the library's contest for the best story, she goes home determined to win. But "this writing stuff was hard and lonely. Maybe I needed help." Her brother Tim suggests lots of action, but it is still not right. Her dad thinks humor will help. Aunt Jane thinks the best stories make people cry. Cousin Anika says that without romance it is a loser. Our versatile author tries incorporating each suggestion. When she reads the finished story to them all, no one is satisfied. Her mother tells her that the best story must come from her own heart. Her rewritten tale is about her family, friends and life. She may win the contest, or she may not. But she still feels like a winner. For the moral is obvious: "Because the story I wrote is my own And that makes it the best." As cute as our nearsighted, blond heroine is, the real star of the visuals is a cat, a puss that appears on all the scenes just fooling around. Sketchy, almost cartoon-y China ink and watercolors keep the emotions light-hearted, even funny. The adventurous pirate with a feather in his black hat and his polka-dot pajamas chopping animated onions with his sword is typical of the events that are visualized during our heroine's attempts. Let's hope others are inspired to write their "best." Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz