Mrs. Nobody

Written by Y. S. Lee

Illustrated by Marie Lafrance

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-836-7

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

April 2025 

 

Who is Mrs. Nobody? Is she the nobody who draws with markers on the wall? Or the one lies about washing her hands or cutting Alice's hair? Is she the one who took something out of someone's wallet and used the paper for confetti? That's Mrs. Nobody and she's always with Alice, until she isn't. 

From Mrs. Nobody, written by Y. S. Lee, illustrated by Marie Lafrance

Mrs. Nobody is Alice's friend, and she has the best ideas, like climbing to the highest branches and playing puppy. And she sings Alice back to sleep when the child awakens in the night. Alice loves her.

 

But one day, Alice doesn't want to be the puppy anymore; she'd like to be the owner holding the leash. Mrs. Nobody isn't happy, growing larger and more menacing, her hair twirling like a twister and her lovely blue dress becoming a stormy grey before she slams out the house. 

From Mrs. Nobody, written by Y. S. Lee, illustrated by Marie Lafrance

That night, when Alice cannot sleep, she longs to hear Mrs. Nobody's voice sing to her. Instead Alice finds her own small voice and sings herself back to sleep.

 

Mrs. Nobody does return the next day, as pretty as a flower in pink, but she wants to play puppy again with, no surprise, Alice as the puppy. But that brave little voice that helped Alice get to sleep is still there and Alice tells Mrs. Nobody that she is tired of being Puppy. When Mrs. Nobody becomes enraged, howling threats at Alice that the child would never see her again, Alice stays strong and still tells Mrs. Nobody, "No." But, with grace, Alice finds a way to stand up for herself and allow Mrs. Nobody the dignity to give way to Alice's ideas.

From Mrs. Nobody, written by Y. S. Lee, illustrated by Marie Lafrance

Most children have an imaginary friend. Many offer comfort, as does Mrs. Nobody when Alice cannot sleep, and some help children partake in mischief, as does Mrs. Nobody with the antics the two get up. But young Alice is coming into her own and realizing that she is not a plaything to be dominated by Mrs. Nobody. Y. S. Lee brings Alice to this realization subtly and by purpose. Most children learn to stand up for themselves when presented with a bully and, though the outcomes will not necessarily be the same as with an imaginary friend, the act of claiming one's self worth is significant. 

 

Mrs. Nobody may not be the dark and complicated suspense of Y. S. Lee's YA historical mystery series The Agency (I reviewed The Traitor in the Tunnel and Rivals in the City) but there is a depth of discomfort that comes with being bullied and then abandoned before finding one's voice and self-confidence. In both published works, a character does not know the quality of her voice until she needs to express it, and when she does, it is to her benefit to realize her worth. Young Alice is lively and imaginative, but she is not a doormat. Soon enough she realizes she has the stuff in her to sing herself back to sleep and to come up with great ideas for play. Finding that voice is key to her happiness and an ongoing relationship with Mrs. Nobody.

From Mrs. Nobody, written by Y. S. Lee, illustrated by Marie Lafrance

Marie Lafrance gives Mrs. Nobody, the character, the energy and zest for play that Alice has imagined for her. She is colourful and wacky in her attire, which contrasts with Alice who wears plain clothes; that is, until Alice stands up for herself and begins to shine in her own vibrant attire. Like Alice's imaginative relationship with Mrs. Nobody, Marie Lafrance's art, drawn in graphite pencil and coloured in Photoshop, is vivid and elaborate, a mosaic of colours and shapes and lines. From the toys with which they play to the countless animals–perhaps stuffies?–like a fox, an octopus, birds and fish, and winding vines and branches, Marie Lafrance creates spreads that are exuberant and rich.

 

Mrs. Nobody is a lesson is finding one's voice and knowing that expressing it might not always be accepted immediately and not without some strife. Still by accepting and sharing our self-worth with others, we give others the opportunity to shine alongside us. Bravo, Alice. With your voice, you will never be a nobody.

 

Ben and the Scaredy-Dog

Written by Sarah Ellis

Illustrated by Kim La Fave

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-044-4

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

April 2018

It's so nice that Sarah Ellis and Kim La Fave's Ben who originated in Ben Over Night (Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2005) has found a new home at Pajama Press. With its predecessors, A+ for Big Ben (2015) and Ben Says Goodbye (2015), Ben and the Scaredy-Dog solidifies the boy's place in guiding those in preschool and kindergarten to understanding more about the big world of siblings, change, friendships and dogs.

From Ben and the Scaredy-Dog by Sarah Ellis, illus. by Kim La Fave

When Ben's friend Peter moved away in Ben Says Goodbye, the little boy was devastated, not knowing how he could continue with his routines and play. But Ben found the way to deal with that loss, and now he's ready to welcome a new friend–or so he hopes–into the house across the street and into his life. But, as much as he enjoys playing with the new kid, Erv, he is very apprehensive of their very big dog. Thankfully when the neighbours drop by, Max is on a leash. But when Ben is invited to their house where he anticipates the dog will be unleashed, the little boy is surprised to see the dog sitting complacently on a mat in the playroom. Poor Max has his own fears: he's scared of the unfamiliar and very shiny floors. When Erv gets called away, Ben reminds himself of all the things he'd learned about dogs so as not to provoke Max. Fortunately, Ben's way of self-soothing works on Max as well and the two unlikely friends find a way to be brave together.

Sarah Ellis demonstrates that children have enormous potential to learn coping strategies for all manner of fears and anxieties. Ben's fear of dogs is valid, especially for very little children and very big dogs, but by comparing how Ben's siblings see dogs–Robin sees their playfulness, Joe sees them as loving creatures–with how the little boy sees them–"When Ben looks at a dog he sees jaws and teeth. That's a dog to Ben. Jaws and teeth."–Sarah Ellis legitimizes all perspectives. Even the baby-steps approach to dealing with Max lends credence to the ability for children to learn how to cope while trying a multitude of strategies, including self-talk and mindfulness.

From Ben and the Scaredy-Dog by Sarah Ellis, illus. by Kim La Fave

I love Kim La Fave's illustrations of Ben and company. His emphasis on perspective–looking up from a child's point of view and at their eye-level–encourages empathy for Ben's distress and concerns. Even with the bright colours of the kids' clothing and Max's soft expressions, Ben's fear is validated. But, with that lightness of line and colour, Kim La Fave pulls together Ben's thoughtful personality, Erv's playful exuberance and Max's big puppy nature.

It's nice to know, courtesy of Ben and the Scaredy-Dog, that anyone can be scaredy-dog about something and that it can be lightened with a little help from inside and out.

From Ben and the Scaredy-Dog by Sarah Ellis, illus. by Kim La Fave