Winner at the 2012 International Latino Book Awards
Balzo goes with his mother to a store where boys and girls
can't touch anything. So, to stop himself from getting bored,
he pretends to be a silkworm. But while he's playing, he
accidentally knocks some figurines off a shelf, and worst
of all, he bumps his head. Neither his mother nor the
storekeeper seem to notice the lump; instead, they tell off
Balzo as if he'd smashed the figurines (and caused the lump)
on purpose?.
A children's story that's also for adults, as it tells how
sometimes, when an accident happens in the home, we tell
off our children without thinking, and if we cause the same
situation, we immediately turn to the timeless phrase: "It
could happen to anyone".
Guided Reading Level: M, Lexile Level: 800L
Balzo accompanies his mother to a store where children cannot touch anything. To avoid boredom, he pretends to be a caterpillar and accidentally bumps his head and makes a mess. Neither his mother nor the shopkeeper notice the bump but instead give Balzo a hard time because of the mess he has made. Imaginative and charming, this story illustrates the importance of forgiving children's mishaps.
