Catching Problems

Dave Jenkinson is Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education at the
University of Manitoba.

While Olivia, who lives alone with her father, understands many things
(such as why rain comes down and what makes buses go) and possesses
numerous skills (such as being able to pour milk without spilling too
much), she seemingly takes a concrete approach to interpreting language.
Consequently, when Dad talks about his “problems,” Olivia
conceptualizes them in anthropomorphic terms and decides to help her
father by catching the problems that are bringing him unhappiness. Using
her father’s complaints, Olivia extracts the physical qualities she
assumes the “problems” must possess—for example, “they must be
fat, because they ate up all the money.” One evening, Olivia lies in
wait for the problems. When three appear, she traps them in the
bathroom, stuffs them into a bag, and throws them out the window,
thereby providing her father with at least temporary relief.

Though von Kцnigslцws idea has merit, the story line in this picture
book for preschoolers builds awkwardly and is neither particularly
credible nor amusing. The illustrations capture the affection that
exists between daughter and father, but the portrayal of the problem
trio does not match Olivia’s description of them as “big, fat and
strong.” Not a first-purchase item.