On My Love of Molly Lou Melon

Molly Lou Melon had a voice that sounded like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor. She didn’t mind. Her grandma had told her, “Sing out clear and strong and the world will cry tears of joy.” …

So she did.

If reading that little excerpt hasn’t already stirred up in you a desire to own this book, I am sure something is very wrong with you.  My 2 year old daughter has seven precious picture books near her bed. They sit atop little wooden spice racks and every day I read her at least one of them (sometimes all of them).  Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon is her particular favorite, and I am so glad it is.  You see, picture books are a minefield. They are not as forgiving as chapter books.  Your child is going to request his or her favorite picture book over and over again, and most books simply can’t stand up to multiple readings.  One poor word choice on page 7 that you didn’t give a second thought to on the first read through is enough to make you want to track down every known copy to fuel an enormous bonfire on the 135^th reading. 

“Molly Lou Melon” is a gem.  Every word is perfectly chosen.  There are no wasted sentences.  And the story is so rich.  Molly Lou Melon is a little girl who, as we’ve already seen, lacks a beautiful singing voice (among other shortcomings) … but she doesn’t mind.  I love that. She just doesn’t mind, and all the anxieties and insecurities you might expect from a little girl who is impossibly short, clumsy, and buck-toothed to boot are simply not to be found because Molly is patterning her life after her grandma’s sage advice – to confidently be herself. 

And Ronald Durkin.  Can’t you just tell by that name that he’s arrogant and ill-mannered? My husband has actually described someone as a “real Ronald Durkin” and I cringed knowing exactly what he meant.  Well Ronald Durkin does his level best to make sure that Molly Lou Melon is put in her place, but to no avail.  In fact, by the book’s end, both my daughter and I rejoice as good triumphs over evil, and more than that, grace abounds for dear old Ronald. 

If the text of the story wasn’t enough, the art is perfect (which I didn’t realize until about the 35^th read through). Like Molly herself, the watercolor and pencil illustrations are a bit eccentric, but in a loveable way. One full page spread in particular shows Molly Lou Melon in all her glory, (but not to her advantage) as she shows off her buck-toothed smile. But that’s kind of the point. Molly is winsome and charming because she’s Molly, not because she has a perfect smile.  There is something new to see or appreciate each time I turn a page, a veritable feast for the eyes. 

You should own Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon.  It may not be the Jesus Storybook Bible, but it has got its share of truth, goodness, and beauty.