Camilla Cream loves lima beans but refuses to eat them because she wants to fit in with her classmates. Her obsession with public opinion manifests as a physical metamorphosis when she wakes up covered in rainbow stripes. As she tries to navigate school, her skin reacts to every suggestion and environment, sprouting stars, checkers, and even wooden appendages. Doctors and experts fail to cure her because they treat the symptoms rather than her repressed personality. Only when she ignores the mockery of her peers and admits her love for the beans does her physical form return to normal.
This story is for parents and educators who want to discuss the social pressure of conformity with children. It targets readers who struggle with the desire for popularity at the expense of their own interests. Children walk away with a literal visualization of how authenticity affects mental and social well-being. The book provides a framework for understanding that hiding one's preferences to avoid ridicule leads to a loss of identity, while self-acceptance serves as the only remedy for social anxiety.
Practical and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1998
- Language
- EN
