Benjamin's 365 Birthdays

Benjamin, a boy-like dog, celebrates his ninth birthday with a party for his friends. He receives many presents and loves tearing the wrappings from the packages and discovering the wonderful gifts inside. Once the party is over, Benjamin remembers how happy he felt opening the presents, and feels sad because he won't experience this joy again for another year. He therefore decides to rewrap one of his presents each evening and open it the next morning. When he runs out of presents, he decides to wrap other items in his home, and this is where the book gets really interesting. The narrative vanishes, and the reader, through a series of detailed illustrations, sees how Benjamin's appreciation of ordinary household items is renewed when he is deprived of their use during the short time they are wrapped. For example, he can't cook when his stove is wrapped, reads by candle light when the lamp is wrapped, and sits on the floor when his favorite armchair is wrapped. Then the reader sees Benjamin's joy as each item is unwrapped. This activity continues until the following year, when Benjamin's friends arrive for his tenth birthday party and discover that he has wrapped his entire home! The story ends with Benjamin feeling that he will never want another birthday present again, because everything around him is a gift and will always be. With a positive message and detailed illustrations, this book is real gem.

This book is special to me because my son's name in Benjamin. But that isn't what makes it a well written book. I like the imagination and problem solving Benjamin has. He knows how to fix a problem and does it in creative ways. The best part, however, is at the end. The ending leads us to a life lesson - that we should appreciaite everything and everyone around us and to let them know it.

Despite the bias that might come with having Judi Barrett as a childhood art teacher, I can say honestly, that this is my favorite book. Even as an adult, I often refer this book to all my friends. The simplicity of how to regain that feeling of anticipation, surprise, happiness and every joyous feeling associated with birthdays, is refreshing to the adult mind. This book gave me the innitiative to leave money in my pockets, and hide letters in old books, for it rediscovers the idea of rediscovery.