Official Review: The Second Banana by Melissa Govea

[acasto]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Second Banana" by Melissa Govea.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Second Banana is an illustrated children’s story written by Melissa Govea. The story is about a talented banana who feels like he just isn’t good enough. The theme of this story centers on developing children’s sense of self-worth and improving their relationships with others.

Govea creates the characters for her story with various pieces of fruit. The main character is a banana, and he interacts with others, including grapes, oranges, and a strawberry, among others. Though not entirely unique, this is a creative approach to creating characters. In children’s stories, animals are often used as characters, but these usually come with preconceived personalities or characteristics. Fruit, on the other hand, is all fruit. One is not seen as more mischievous or friendly than another.

The illustrations also have a huge part in the story. Although they are simple, they are delightfully colorful, and add meaning to the story. Some backgrounds give details beyond the text, and others are more vague, leaving it to the imagination. The simple drawings appeal to younger children, which matches the reading level of the text. An interesting thing to note in the illustrations are the characters’ facial expressions. Most are very distinct, and help convey emotions, especially to younger readers.

I found this book to be very satisfying. The reader sympathizes with the main character in his or her troubles, but when they are resolved at the end of the story it gives a little warm, fuzzy feeling. Though geared towards children, it could pick anyone up from a bad day. I liked how the author resolves the conflict, and that the lesson to be learned is quite obvious.

I rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars because it is well written and does a good job of addressing an emotional issue that many children face. The text and the illustrations work well together to create an engaging children’s story. I did not rate this book higher only because it does not apply to most readers. Many children who would pick it up may be easily bored by it. This story would likely appeal to mothers with young children, especially those who have a lower sense of self esteem, or don’t think they meet others’ expectations. Although this book is not applicable to everyone, it is a nice, short story about improving self esteem. I would recommend it to anyone who sells themselves short.

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The Second Banana
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