Today I’m going to read Dotty. Written by Erica S. Perl which is me, illustrated by Julia Denos, who drew the beautiful pictures.
“When Ida started school she took her new lunch box
and Dotty.
At morning meeting, Ms. Raymond counted noses: ‘
10, 11, 12.’ Ida frowned. She patted Dotty reassuringly. 13, she silently added.
During Choice Time, Ida found out there was even more noses in the class. Pete and Repeat came to school with Max. They were twins, but not the identical kind.
Spike was Benny’s. She had razor-sharp teeth, but Benny swore she would never really hurt anyone.
Keekoo was tiny. She swung back and forth on Katya’s braids, chattering all day long.
And then there was Dotty, who kept mostly to herself, nibbling the rug.
Dotty occasionally poked people with her horns when she got restless. Pete and Repeat occasionally refused to share. Spike occasionally growled when she missed her nap, and Keekoo occasionally had to be told to let someone else have a turn talking.
But all in all everyone in Ms. Raymond’s room got along pretty well that fall.
When Ida went back to school after the winter holidays, she took her not so new lunch box
and Dotty.
‘Ida! Hey, Ida!’ yelled Katya. ‘Like my birthday haircut?’
‘Ida nodded. ‘Where’s Keekoo?’ she asked.
‘Ida!’ scolded Katya. ‘That’s for babies.’ She looked around and whispered, ‘I still keep her in my pocket sometimes.’
With a laugh, Katya ran off. Ida chased after her. Dotty tried to catch up, but the snow made it hard.
In a few months, the green finally returned. Now when Ida went to school, she took her new, new lunch box
and Dotty.
Max said Pete and Repeat had moved away. When Ida asked Benny if Spike still took naps, Benny said, ‘Who?’ And Keekoo was long gone.
Then one day on the swings, Katya said, ‘What’s that blue string?’
‘Nothing,’ said Ida, wadding it up in a ball.
‘Didn’t that used to be a leash for
what was her name? Spotty?’
‘Dotty,’ Ida corrected.
‘You don’t still have her do you?’
‘No,’ said Ida ,too quickly.
Katya stared at Ida. Then she ran off laughing.”
I will tell you that as the book continues, Dotty does not want to go anywhere, and Ida is not so sure what she should do. And I will tell you that this leads to some trouble on the playground. But I will not tell you how the book ends. You’ll have to find out yourself when you read Dotty.