I have a copy of The Mysterious Benedict Society

[conuly]

Got the sequel, too.

The books would be better if they weren't quite so long, but they're not bad either. And the author is great with the niggling details of consistent characterization - one character is this absurdly bright two year old - so bright that the other characters don't realize until they're told that she's just two and a half years old! (This stretches credibility somewhat, as she's got the same body as the average two year old, and the same need for sleep, lack of dexterity, and general lack of experience as the average two year old, but they just figure she's a bit weird.) And yet, when you look back over the book, it all makes sense - her behavior is exactly what you'd expect of a two (and a half) year old with the vocabulary and math skills of an adult (and then some). In the next book, the kid (now almost four) looks through a marble with one eye and carefully covers the other with her hand because she isn't able to wink yet.

I know little kids can't wink* because my mother has told me (repeatedly) but not everybody does know this - Ana's teacher this year didn't, for example. So it's a nice little detail put in there.

[Poll #1422715]

So here's the thing. We have a very consistent book. One of the characters (not the little kid) is described as having "light brown skin". He's shown in the in-book illustrations as being visibly darker skinned than the other children. And yet, on the covers of both books - done by the same illustrator, the shapes of all the characters are the same! - he has the same very light burn-under-moonlight skin as the other characters.

What gives?


*For that matter, not all adults can wink, and many adults can only wink one eye, or prefer to wink one eye over the other.

Comments

[lady-angelina.livejournal.com]

Winking is not (and never has been, to my knowledge) difficult for me. Of course, I think a lot of that has to do with my lazy eye condition, which often compels me to close one eye (especially while reading).

[feebeeglee.livejournal.com]

Me too. The wonky eye gives just enough input that I have to shut it off.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

...

Your mom should tell that to both Seth and Topher, who can both wink, and who have been trying desperately to teach Annika how. There is LOTS of "NO ANNI NOT THAT EYE TOO JUST THIS ONE. KEEP THAT ONE OPEN!!!" (As yet, she is unable to blink, but she's not even two yet). I will get video proof as soon as possible. :)

So I don't know if its just that they're weird, or that kids CAN do it, were they to practice enough and try it ALL THE TIME. (Both can also do the Vulcan Salute, though, so it could be the weird thing...)

[conuly]

And yet, the proof is in the pudding - Annika does not know how to wink, despite her brothers trying to teach her.

Ana only learned how to wink last year (and her winks are all a bit weird) and Evangeline still can't do it, though she can scrunch up her eye.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Annika is also only a year and a half old, so still in the realm of "baby" as opposed to "small children". :-p Seth is Six and Topher is Three. :-p

[conuly]

And what are babies and toddlers but very small children?

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

OK, so maybe it should be "extremely small children who are still babies cannot wink". Because "small children" can. :-p

[conuly]

YOUR small children can.

Man, now I need a new poll....

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Yes to the new poll. :-p


The boys can also touch their tongue to their noses, btw. I train them early. XD

[ksol1460.livejournal.com]

Wonder if they might have based her on Alicia Witt. That sounds like a pretty good description of what she was like at that age.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I was always small for my age, so physically I looked younger than I was, but people would often forget how young I was or be shocked to learn my age because of how young I was. This was true pretty much until I graduated college when I still looked young and people were shocked to learn I was an adult and not even all that recently one. (When I was 22 years old someone actually thought I was 12.) The surprise started pretty much as soon as I was talking, which means age 2. I was apparently fairly quiet for a long time and then spoke very clearly and in complete sentences, although with a far more limited vocabulary than I would develop.

Technically, people were actually shocked at how young I was the day I was born, but that doesn't really count. They just didn't believe I was actually only a few hours old when my sister stopped to pick up some ice cream on the way back from taking me to the pediatrician for a check-up right after I was born (well, right after I was born, bathed, and had my umbilical cord cut and tied). But that wasn't about development or abilities but people's assumptions about babies that young being in hospitals.

Anyhow, given that I looked younger than I was and people were surprised at how young I was, I don't find it odd that people would forget how young a child is who is advanced mentally but physically average for her age.

On a side note, what other little physical things can't young kids do?

[leora.livejournal.com]

Doh, totally used the wrong userpic. I meant to use me when I was truly young. Oh well.