Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed

~They are a little bit rat.
~~They are a little bit mole.
~~~They are all naked.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Willems, Mo. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2009
ISBN 9781423114376

Mo Willems


PLOT SUMMARY:

Wilbur appears totally different from the other Nake Mole Rats in his Colony. He likes wearing clothes, dressing up because when he dresses up he can be cool, or fancy, or funny --- he can be whatever he would like to be --- just by his outfit. The other naked mole rats, appalled and distraught over Wilbur's failure to see the error of his "unnakedness" went to see the heoric and regal Grand-pah. Grand-pah listened and thought and thought some more; he then called for a gathering of all naked mole rats so he could make a proclamation. Grand-pah's appearance amazed the naked mole rat colony -- he was fully clothed and proclaimed that clothes could be fun. He thanked Wilbur for asking "Why not" and from that moment forward:

~some mole rats were naked,

 ~~some were clothed,

~~~and all had a great time.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Willems tackels the life-long issue of being different and struggling for the right to be yourself. The book has simple basic illustrations which allows Wilbur to stand-out even more when wearing his clothes. Luckily for Wilbur Grand-pah is a wise old naked mole rat that is not afraid to try something different when asked "why not." When Grand-pah decrees that clothes could be fun more naked mole rats come out of the closet wearing their favoriate clothing items.

REVIEW EXCERPT:

School Library Journal: " Willem's contemporary fable concerns the way in which a young member of the species 'naked mole rats' is different. As the nomenclature suggests, the group does not wear clothing, with the singular exception of Wilbur. his extensive wardrobe, ranging from a tuxedo to a space suit, and his insistense on wearing it, cause much sonsternatio and criticism from his colony."

AWARDS:

Junior Library Guild selection

CONNECTIONS:

*Create a list of clothes worn by a particular group (military, nuns, police officers, sport teams, etc.)

*Discuss the many differences in people and how people should treat eachother

*Read other books by Mo Willems