by Moe Zilla

Created on: February 24, 2010

John Burningham was 70 years old when he finally wrote a very special book. It's got simple drawings, but a thoughtful message about the way adults speak to children. Burningham began his career in 1963, working as both a children's book writer and illustrator. But in 2006, after a 43-year career, the world was finally ready for the story of "Edwardo, The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World."

The cartoonish drawings add so much to the story. There's little Edwardo, smiling, drawn with clean, crisp lines and a few pastel colors. But then there's a picture of a short man with a moustache, scolding Edwardo for kicking a doll. "You are a rough boy, Edwardo. You are always kicking things," the man says. "You are the roughest boy in the whole wide world." And after that scolding, Edwardo actually started playing even rougher...

The pattern repeats throughout the book. A woman with red hair tells Edwardo he's the noisiest boy in the whole world - and soon, Edwardo starts being noisier. A  man tells Edwardo that he's cruel for chasing the cat - and soon, Edwardo starts becoming even more cruel. It's a startling message that the author is sending, but his pictures make it more accessible. Every adult raises a finger and points at poor Edwardo. And soon Edwardo becomes the things that they're saying.

But fortunately, Burningham's also found a way to reverse the trend. When Edwardo kicks a pot of flowers, it accidentally lands in a pile of soil. A grown-up praises him for his gardening skills, and soon Edwardo is being sought to help growers with gardens! Another compliment arrives when Edwardo douses a dog with a bucket of water. (The dog's owner thanks Edwardo for giving the dog a bath - and soon Edwardo is being sought as a pet-sitter!) It's a happy series of coincidences, and keeps on repeating itself. Edwardo shoves a little boy - but at that exact moment, a light crashes down from the ceiling.

And soon the teachers are thanking Edwardo for his quick-thinking safety skills.

Obviously Burningham is teaching an important lesson. (Grown-ups impact the self esteem of a child, and this impact can be positive or negative.) It's a funny story for children, but its lesson is really for grown-ups. After a long series of compliments, Edwardo suddenly turns into something else.

The nicest boy in the whole whole world.

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