Bedtime stories are the ones that will stick with you forever, especially when you begged for them to be read to you every single night. In my case, the book was The Adventures of Taxi Dog written by Debra and Sal Barracca. "My name is Maxie, I live in a taxi. I ride around New York City all day. My owner is Jim (I belong to him), but it wasn't always this way." To this day I am still nearly able to recite all of the catchy lines and witty frases narrated by a dog, and to this day it still remains one of my favorite books.
Maxie, a mutt in New York City, used to have to scavenge for food in dumpsters, sleep in dark allies, and fend for himself. One day Jim, a cab driver, offers Maxie a home with him. More than just a home, Jim also provided Maxie with a friendship, the front seat of his cab, and a whole new perspective on the world.
Thinking of the child in mind, the author of a picture book usually chooses to write a story around a clear, prominent message easy for young, still maturing reader to understand. These messages are intended to stay with you throughout your years along with the entertaining story. From The Adventures of Maxi Dog, I found two messages that are still immensely important today. One of the messages is that one can overcome destitution. Jim helped Maxie grow from nothing, and the short story suggests that when you have hit the bottom, you can always go up. The second is the message of friendship and the gesture of kindness Jim acted towards Maxie. The two characters form a unique partnership and unbreakable bond that could be used to teach younger kids the importance of benevolence and companionship.
The theme and message of friendship comes up many other times in different books, most specifically in children's books. At a young age, it is important for a child to be taught the essentials of morality in our society, and friendship seems to be one of the reoccurring lessons. The Giving Tree, Days with Frog and Toad, and The Rainbow Fish are all examples of other picture books with the main theme of friendship. It is critical to learn the skills of amiability as an adolescent, and because of this, it is the main theme for many books.
What made The Adventures of Taxi Dog exemplify good writing is the way it targeted the audience and proved it's point while still maintaing an interesting and entertaining read. The Adventures of Taxi Dog targeted the obvious audience of a young child, clearly got its lesson across, and still managed to keep the reader's attention. It is hard to keep the short attention span of a child focused on reading a book, but the fact that the authors could accomplish this while still maintaining to convey a message is what made this story for adolescents good writing.
Although at the time I didn't understand good writing or hidden messages, The Adventures of Taxi Dog always kept me entertained and excited to read it. It taught me valuable skills of friendship and acts of kindness that have stuck with me still. This book is a staple on any child's book shelf, and it still is in mine.