A Bad Case of the Stripes

   Summary: A Bad Case of the Stripes is a Fantasy children's book intended for children in Kindergarten through third or fourth grade. This story was written by David Shannon and published in 2004. This book is about a young girl named Camilla who ends up getting covered head to toe in colorful stripes. Camilla is worried about what everyone thinks of her all the time. When she goes to school the children make fun of her, making her feel embarrassed and sad. A little old lady comes to her house and gives her Lima beans that end up turning her back to normal.     Art Style: David Shannon uses very colorful acrylic paints to create his illustrations. I believe that his artwork is meant to be funny, ironic, and sometimes serious. He usually draws instances from his personal life as an influence to his books and illustrations. David uses a line that has a width, direction, length, and his use of shape is two- dimensional. 
  Personal Thoughts: This is one of my favorite stories, and I love this story, because it helps children in seeing the cautionary sign of losing who you are to be like everyone else. Camilla shows children that everyone is different or special in their own way. Be happy with yourself and others will love you for being the real you!
  Value of Respect: According to Saint Leo University, "Animated in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we value all individuals’ unique talents, respect their dignity, and strive to foster their commitment to excellence in our work. Our community’s strength depends on the unity and diversity of our people, on the free exchange of ideas, and on learning, living, and working harmoniously." I believe that this book will teach children to respect and accept all people even if they are different from them. This book will show that bullying is not okay, and that you need to be happy with yourself and with others. 

Discussion Questions: 

• After their activity I would ask "Why did you choose these colors?"
• What kind of mood do your stripes represent?
• How do your stripes apply to you? 
• What is the problem and solution of this story? 
• What important lessons can we learn from Camilla in this story?
• How does Camilla feel when the children laugh at her?
• Do you think that the kids are bullying Camilla?

Motivational Activities:

• I would have printed off school pictures for each student. I will provide them with different colored paint, and I would have the students give themselves stripes representing a meaning. It could represent their current mood/overall mood, how they see themselves, or where they see themselves. 
• I would Discuss with students what cleared up Camilla’s stripes and why simple lima beans worked. Then ask students to think about what would cure them if they had a bad case of stripes. Remind students that it should be something that makes them unique but they might be shy or have never told anyone about.

If you enjoyed this book, check out some other books written by David Shannon

Some Examples:

• No, David! 
• David Gets in Trouble
• Oh, David!
• Duck on a Bike
• Too Many Toys 

Resources: 

Shannon, D. (2011). A bad case of stripes. New York: Scholastic.