Oliver Button is a sissy...

Check out this book I stumbled upon at… you wouldn't believe it… the library of a public elementary school in a barangay in Cebu.

I was at the province recently for a day to do some interviews, photo and video shoot at three public schools.

The shoot was held at the schools' libraries. On our visit to the second school, I was looking around the books in the library while my photo and video guys did their work.

I was just browsing the shelves, not touching anything, when this particular book caught my attention. Hehe!

Oliver Button is a Sissy. By Tomie de Paola

Out of curiosity, I picked up a book and browsed through it.

I couldn't believe what I was reading. Hehe! Uhm, it wasn't because there was anything wrong with it. It just wasn't the kind of book I expected to find at a library… of a public elementary school… in a barangay.

Here was a book that could've been useful to me when I was still in an all-boys elementary school. (Ugh, memories of basketball (failing at it and at other things usual boys have no trouble doing)). Hehe! The key message of the book was very simple - It's okay to be different. The illustrations were wonderful. The story, though a bit harsh, was definitely next to real.

I was more than happy to have found the book. And I'm really hoping that some kids who "needed" the book have actually found the book and read it…

because I asked the principal if I could buy the book.

Yeah, that's how desperate I was to get the book. Hehe! Of course, despite my insistence to pay for the book, the principal was more insistent that I keep it.

Yey!

Of course, when I showed the book to some friends to say how awesome it was that a book like that existed, I got a bit reprimanded for getting book from the school.

That's because some little boy who would probably have better use of the book than some thirty-year old bloke who's already okay with who he is. Hehehe!

But no, I had to get the book, didn't I? Hehe!

Okay, here's what I'll do to make up for what I did.

I will scan all the pages, make it into a PDF and then upload it online.

I'm sure I'll be violating some copyright/distribution ekers but I had to do something. Hehe!