Righty and Lefty – A Tale of Two Feet

By: Rachel Vail

Illustrations by:  Matthew Cordell

Published by:  Scholastic Press 2007

Age:  3 – 5 years

Theme:  relationships, compromise, friendship

Opening Lines:  This is Righty.  This is Lefty.  Righty and Lefty don’t always get along so well, but they are stuck with each other because they are two feet on one person.

Synopsis:  (from front flap) Righty and Lefty can’t seem to agree on anything.  Righty wakes up early, while Lefty likes to sleep in.  Righty dreams of wearing fancy footwear, but Lefty swears by galoshes.  This is the tale of two feet who, despite walking different walks, must learn how to get along without tripping over the most important thing of all: each other.

Why I Like it: This begs to be read aloud again and again.  It is also regarded as a comical love story.  It reminded me of the older of my two young brothers and me.  Close together in age, as kids we bickered constantly.  Never seeing eye to eye, yet we had to learn to live with each other, after all we lived in the same house.  They say opposite attract.  This is a lovely story of two very different feet (and lets face it, have you ever sat and looked down at your feet lately?) They have different views, interests, likes and dislikes, and while they may dream of what it’s like to be out on their own, they really can’t live without the other.  Learning to get along, and compromise is the outcome, but it is Rachel’s quick witted text and Mathew’s clear colourful illustrations which make it so comical. I love the race and the nail clippers.  You will have to read it to find out why.   🙂

Resources and Findings:  Rachel Vail is a highly acclaimed Picture Book and Novelist who lives with her family in New York.  Here is her website…    http://rachelvail.com/pages/righty-and-lefty.htm

Here is Matthew Cordell’s website…   http://matthewcordell.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/RIGHTY%20AND%20LEFTY

I couldn’t see any resources that went with this story, but for ideas with young children, having them stand on paper and draw around their feet and colour in with faces etc would make a fun activity.    What about getting them to try writing or drawing with the opposite hand to what they are used to.    This is also a great intro for discussing with kids about getting along, brothers and sisters, kids at school etc.   Kids at a very young age can learn to look for the good in others, that winning is not everything, it’s the enjoyment of doing things together that matters.  Kids in class can be set tasks to do, an assignment to work on together or even produce a play.  There are many ideas that would be perfect to accompany this book.

Pop over  and visit the lovely author Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog and find the tab for Perfect Picture Books.    Her blog is full of resources links and activities associated with the books reviewed by many authors.