Humor Therapy--It's a Laugh!

The famed writer, editor, and peacemaker, Norman Cousins (1915-1990) believed that if stress could cause an illness, then having positive emotions could help one feel better. Following a diagnosis of a  painful degenerative disease, and unsatisfied with the doctor's belief of impending death, Cousins decided to help himself. He started taking massive doses of vitamin C and watching humorous films. He also watched or listened to other funny material. He believed that the result of 10 minutes of belly laughing worked better than morphine to grant him two hours of sleep without pain. His health improved and he eventually gained the ability to return to work full time and once again use all of his limbs.

I haven't had any official experience with laughter or humor therapy, but I do believe in the power of laughter.
Since being pregnant and having my daughter, I have grown increasingly sensitive to toxic people--those who do nothing but bring others down via complaints and negativity, especially with no plans to consider truly trying to find something positive about a situation or make an effort to try and fix an issue rather than only complain about it. I feel sensitive to violent, and disturbing storylines on television, in some books, and of course on the news. I no longer add new crime shows to my television watching habits. I continue to watch the ones I started prior to my daughter, but once the series ends, I'm done, too. I much prefer a good drama, and especially a good comedy. What I consider a good comedy, though, that's another post.

For now, I'm looking at books that make me laugh alone, but also especially with my daughter.

First off, yesterday, I received some news. The kind of news  that you imagine you'd be all right with, but when it happens for real, stirs up emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, and more. All of these emotions flowed through my head. I tried to clear them by playing at the park, walking with my daughter riding on my back, and visiting with some neighbors. Finally, talking with someone who has been there, this was the key--for the moment.
Then, at bedtime for my daughter, she selected two books for our read-aloud.

When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry... by Molly Bang (Copyright 1999)
This picture book has gradually grown on me. The illustrations originally did not appeal to me, so the
story did not hold my interest. Recently, as I read this aloud, I found that the tone soothed me, and definitely calmed my daughter.

Variations in sentence length show emotion as Sophie displays her anger after her sister takes a toy she was using, even though it was time for the sister to have her turn with the toy. "Sophie kicks. She screams. She wants to smash the world to smithereens." She expresses her anger in the home, then runs out. She runs and runs and runs. Then she cries. After some moments, she becomes aware of the trees, the birds, the rocks, and the plants around her. Her anger has shrunk. Sophie climbs a tree and peers at the world around her. She feels better and is able to return home where her family welcomes her back.

The large illustrations spread across every two facing pages.The main text is printed over parts of the pictures, while some sound words depicting loud noises are incorporated into the illustrations. Shades of red appear on most pages when Sophie's anger has her in its grips. Trees of various types fill the world outside of her home.

I love trees and find them especially calming. I would have ran and ran and ran away as Sophie did, but this is not exactly an option with a child in tow. Last night this book allowed me to feel the anger and then release it.

While Sophie's story relaxed me, humor does more to provide an escape from thinking--which I think I need more often than I would like.
Two of our favorite book series recently fall into the category of transition books (or early chapter books).

The Mercy Watson Series by Kate DiCamillo, Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Mercy Watson, a pig who lives at 54 Deckawoo Drive, resides in the home of her humans, Mr. and

Mrs. Watson. Mercy's motivation to perform any task can be encouraged for the payment of some "toast, with a great deal of butter" on it. Readers later see that really it is the butter flavor and aroma that attracts Mercy. Often she is oblivious to the problem occurring around her, but somehow a combination of  her searching for buttery edibles and moving to different locations eventually brings her to where she needs to be to participate in the resolution of the problem.

In the six books that make up the series so far, in addition to Mercy and the Watsons, readers meet the neighbors Eugenia (who always has an opinion about the pig next door), and her sister, Baby (who has her own thoughts, but usually just listens to her sister). Baby adores Mercy. Other characters who appear in more than one book include the firemen Ned and Lorenzo, and the children Stella and Frank.

While the repetition of the setting (54 Deckawoo Drive) in each book may seem redundant, the antics of Mercy and others trigger laughs. The illustrations have a classic appearance to them that I believe gives the books a feel of having been written a much longer time ago. I love older books. They remind me of my childhood when I was a bookworm (not a real worm), searching through the stacks for a good book.

While the Mercy Watson books provide entertainment, my new favorites are the three graphic novel styled Bink and Gollie  books by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, and Illustrated by Tony Fucile.

Bink and Gollie are two young girls who are like sisters, but really are the best of friends. Gollie lives in a treehouse. She loves to make and eat pancakes. Bink lives in a small house near the base of the tree. She keeps her shelves stocked full with peanut butter. The girls communicate via what appears to be walkie talkies. (I have wanted a set since I was little. I love these!) The girls like to roller skate places. When they need to make a purchase of anything, they can count on Mr. and Mrs. Eccles and their Empire of Enchantment store. Free popcorn everyday, too.

While there is repetition of certain words, such as "gray matter" (brain), certain places, and behaviors from book to book, what's difference from the Mercy Watson books is that in Bink and Gollie the authors do not tell the

reader. Instead, they show the reader through the characters' actions, and the repeated features in the illustrations.

Speaking of illustrations, Fucile's attention to details shows his humor. My daughter and I study the cartoon-like drawings and laugh at the pieces. We laugh at the facial expressions. I love how the girls are kid-like, and not perfect. Little Bink has fly-away hair that sticks in every direction. She is short and stocky with legs that belong on a little kid. Gollie is tall and lanky with stick skinny legs that work for her. We laugh at the jars of peanut butter--the only food on Bink's shelves. We laugh at Mr. and Mrs. Eccles always sitting and reading their newspapers, and sometimes repeating each others' words.

While I find all three books quite humorous, Bink and Gollie: Two for One is the book that made me laugh so hard the first time I read it the other night, that I struggled to complete the first chapter aloud with my daughter.

The first chapter, "Whack a Duck" brings the girls to the state fair where Bink discovers the Whack a Duck game. The prize: The world's largest doughnut. Determination drives Bink to try and  win the doughnut with one of the three balls she gets for a dollar. For me, studying the facial expressions of the girls, Bink's preparation for throwing the balls, her pitch, the hits, the changes in the man's appearance as he runs the game between each pitch, and reading the comments were the funniest parts of the book. Perhaps my tiredness at the time made it even more hilarious. Whatever it was, I honestly cannot recall a book making me laugh as hard as this chapter did. And, it feels good to have a good laugh.

My daughter requested that we read the book again last night. After we read about Sophie being angry, we went to Bink and Gollie. I only planned on reading "Whack a Duck", but the book is hard to put down. I wound up reading the whole book. Okay by me. I love reading aloud. And, each readthrough allows me to notice a detail I may have missed earlier.

I don't laugh quite as much as I did the first time, but my daughter giggles. Of course, a child's belly laugh gets me laughing. So, all is good. I needed a good laugh.

Side note. I asked my daughter if she thinks she is more like Bink or Gollie. She chose Bink. I agree. So do the grandparents. Yes. I can count on future laughter for awhile with or without a book. My source of humor lives with me. Free therapy. It's a laugh!

If you would like to get to know Bink and Gollie better, check out their webpage at http://www.binkandgollie.com/ 

I'll be back on Monday as I continue the countdown of daily (I shall say, weekday) posts before the school year begins again. Next week's topics include graphic novels, diverse picture books, nonfiction picture books, and more. I shall see where my musings take me.

Have a good weekend. May you find humor each day.

~Tamara