Pippin the puppy is no longer happy like she used to be. And she’s not sure why. Would she be happier if she could swim like a fish, or maybe fly in the sky like the birds? She has to figure out how to rediscover a better, happier version of herself.
Not all that long ago, Pippin the puppy was born. She woke to find herself snuggling happily with her newborn puppy brothers and being licked by her loving mom and dad. And behind her parents was a little girl with two brown braids looking on them all with a smile.
Life was good. Pippin was happy.
As Pippin began to grow, some of her favorite times were when the little girl with two brown braids would read her favorite stories to the pups. Pippin and her brothers would climb on the girl, tug at her braids and eat her popcorn.
It was such a warm and happy time.
Then, when it turned spring, the doggy family went outside and romped about the Sunny Hills Farm. Pippin and her brothers enjoyed the world full of flowers and butterflies, frogs and chicks.
And they took long happy walks with the little girl with two brown braids. It was so much fun. Pippin was so happy.
When summer came around, though, Pippin started to feel … differently. She had grown, but her happiness had somehow gotten smaller. In fact, she started being quiet and spent more time off by herself. And she wasn’t sure why. She thought about it a lot.
Pippin thought about how she didn’t have white spots like her father and brothers. She thought her big floppy ears looked more like rabbit ears. She didn’t like her thick, hot fur in the summer. Her plain brown color was just … plain!
Pippin’s family members still say nice things. Her animal friends on the farm are still so friendly to her. The little girl with two brown braids is still there to romp about with her, pet her and read good stories. But Pippin isn’t the same anymore. She’s definitely sad. And she has to figure out how to change that … even it means changing herself.
Hey, even a puppy knows that sad isn’t a good way to feel.
There’s nothing specifically Christian mentioned here. But there are moments when Pippin’s parents, her friends and the little girl with two brown braids tell the sad puppy that they love her just the way she is. And they reference “the one” who created her. The little girl with two brown braids tells her, “You were created as a puppy girl and everything about you is Just ALL Right, from your big floppy ears to your swishy, wiggly tail.”
None.
Pippin’s mom and dad both worry about their beloved pup when she starts to get quiet and show signs of being unhappy with herself and with the world around her. When Pippin says that her father would love her more if she looked more like him, he gently lays a paw on her back and says: “Dear sweet Pippin! You were created exactly how you were meant to be. It is true that you are different from your brothers and me, but that is one of the many things that is beautiful about you!”
Pippin’s mother offers similar comforts. “Right now, you are still growing. Your ears have grown faster than the rest of your body. That’s all. … With your ears, you are able to hear for miles! They are a gift given to you by the one who created you.”
When Pippin tries to tie down her tail so that—in addition to her floppy ears—she can be more bunny like, Mother Rabbit says she can come and have fun with her family anytime. But she doesn’t have to worry about having a big swishy tail. “Pippin, your tail is the best! We love your tail! Your tail is part of what makes you Pippin,” Mother Rabbit tells the pup.
The little girl with the two brown braids echoes all of the above and encourages Pippin to worry less about trying to change herself and to focus more on the things and people she loves.
The closest thing to violence takes place when Pippin decides she wants to fly like the cardinals on the farm. The pup rolls in mud and chicken feathers and jumps several times off the chicken coup’s roof, only to thump down to the ground.
There’s nothing sexual in the mix. (But Pippin’s desire to change herself in an attempt to “find happiness” could be used by parents to address kids’ questions about gender identity if that subject comes up.)
Have you ever felt like you’re different or awkward, that you don’t fit in the world around you? Those feelings are more common than you might realize. Why do you think people feel that way?
What does this story say to people who feel those things? Can the things that make you feel “different” also be positive traits?
What were Pippin’s mom and dad trying to tell her? Does it make a difference if people around you love you for exactly who you are?
What do you think your strengths are? What makes you who you are? What do you think God thinks about you and the changing feelings that people have?
Pippin, You Are Just All Right! is a children’s book that suggests we are all wonderfully made, though it doesn’t go too far down that road spiritually. It encourages young readers to enjoy and appreciate all the things that might make them different, and to love the family and friends in their lives.
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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not necessarily their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
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