I have never been confused by a children’s book. I mean, given their intended demographic, the storyline shouldn’t be too overwhelming.
And then we read Skippyjon Jones in the Dog House. One of the more confusing books Madeline and I have read together in … like, ever.
It’s about a Siamese cat, Skippyjon Jones, who was punished after coloring on the walls in his home. Then, all the sudden, he imagined himself a Chihuahua and was off on a caped crusader adventure.
Just in the first few pages alone, his Mom called him by four different names, in addition to his real name of Skippyjon Jones. Playfully, of course, but hard for the average young reader to understand. While he is off on his little Mexican adventure (I’m not entirely sure if he snuck out or was just dreaming), the content was peppered with Spanish words, made-up words, and generally nonsensical stuff.
As I was reading the story, I caught Madeline giving me the side-eye. I met her gaze, “This is a really weird story, isn’t it?” She nodded and we quickly finished so we could move on to the next book in our stack.
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