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Inquisitive children who love to help will engage with Edie. They will be able to relate to her, and understands what she is doing. Furthermore, readers can be encouraged to look closely at the pictures, to see how any help Edie is giving might be received, and to think of ways in which their own helping strategies might be improved. This book affectionately explains a child’s thought processes, and reminds the adult reader that perhaps what might sometimes be seen as “naughtiness” is often just a small person’s way of helping.
Edie thinks she is very good at helping, and in this book, she tells the reader exactly how she does it, with illustrations showing cleverly how her family feels about her “help”.
First thing in the morning, Edie wakes everyone in the house, and this is sometimes done with loud instruments. Edie declares that she is being very helpful, but her Mummy’s facial expression suggests that she may be a little too loud for that time of day…
Edie then helps by getting herself dressed – maybe not in the most practical manner, but Edie seems happy with her choice of clothing. Then, she makes breakfast – and most of it goes on the floor. The dog, at least, is very grateful!
When it is time to go out, Edie is keen to help by putting on her own shoes (the wrong way round) and then she helps a lot in the supermarket, picking out what to buy – things that are probably not on Daddy’s shopping list.
At the park, Edie ensures a good time is being had by all, and gets thoroughly involved in everyone’s different games. She isn’t put off when the other children scream in fear as she whizzes them round on the roundabout at breakneck speed, because she is helping them to enjoy themselves, whether they like it or not.
Putting the shopping away is a big job, and Edie helps with that too, in her own special way of course, by eating a lot of it. And then she helps the dog to rest by sleeping on him. (He doesn’t look impressed.)
When Edie herself is rested, she’s more helpful than ever. Mummy’s office is organised with banners and garlands, and Edie also finds a unique way of helping Daddy to tidy up.
According to Edie, her little brother requires a lot of help, in particular, when he has sweets he needs to share. He often needs help with his dressing up technique, when Edie kindly obliges, and turns him into a fairy.
Edie also loves to help her grandparents with their grooming – especially when they are asleep.
Her helping skills are endless; she jazzes up the dog, decorates Daddy’s shoes and even brightens the house up a bit, by painting the stairs.
This is when Edie reminds herself that she has to stop helping in certain ways – we can tell from Mummy’s face that this kind of help is not very welcome.
Edie is not downhearted for long, and is soon back to her helpful self. She has confidence in her abilities to be helpful, and is a very happy child.