Verdi

Submitted by Ms. Wendy!

Have you ever had a day where you just didn’t want to grow up? In Verdi by Janell Cannon, Verdi is a young python whose mother sends him out into the world and tells him to “Grow up big and green.” Verdi is rather fond of his bright yellow skin and racing stripes and doesn’t want to be green. All the grown-up, green pythons he meets do nothing to change his mind. Verdi is sure that if he turns green, he will be as slow and boring as the rest of the grown-up pythons. Verdi tries lots of ways to stay yellow and fast, but only ends up getting hurt and having to have the old greens take care of him. As he listens to their stories, he realizes that they were once young and yellow like him. Verdi still doesn’t want to  be a slow old green, but he finds a way to combine the best parts of staying young and growing up. Cannon’s beautiful artwork and witty dialogue really help capture the spirit of childhood. This book is wonderful to share with children of all ages. We all need a little reminder sometimes that you don’t always have to grow all the way up. See this book listed in our catalog