The Busy Life of Ernestine Buckmeister by Linda Ravin Lodding and illustrated by Suzanne Beaky (Flashlight Press, 2011) is an anti-Tiger Mom story. (I happened to read it the first time the same week I reviewed Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, so the timing seemed quite ironic to me.) Poor young Ernestine is overscheduled with (ridiculous)after-school tasks, from yodeling to tuba lessons to water ballet. Although it appears she enjoys her talents, she seeks something more, and in the end, she and her parents find peace.
The illustrations are clever and exaggerated, much as Ernestine’s schedule and the names of her teachers (Mr. Oompah is her tuba instructor), and the book as a whole is simply fun. It’s also a good reminder that kids need a little time to play every now and then.
