Owen by Kevin Henkes

I've truly grown to love Kevin Henkes' stories. I think kids can really relate to his mousey little characters that experience all the same things that they do. Owen had a fuzzy yellow blanket that he carried everywhere. Fuzzy played with him, helped him become invisible and helped him through scary things like going to the dentist. But the nosy neighbor Mrs. Tweezers thought Owen was too old for a blanket. She offered his parents all kinds of advice like giving it to the Blanket Fairy and dipping it in vinegar. But Owen still found a way to hang on to Fuzzy. When it was almost time to start school, Owen's mom came up with the perfect solution- cutting Fuzzy into little handkerchiefs that he could still hold and use when he needed them.

Many children cling to something for comfort and companionship, whether it be a blanket, or a doll or a stuffed animal. I carried a blanket until it was literally torn to sheds. In our house, "Taggie" is my son's best friend. I think it is fine for kids to have a "lovey", but there will come a time when they need to learn to separate from it. Owen is the perfect little mouse to help them do it.