A Bad Case of Stripes

Shannon, D. (1998). A bad case of stripes. New York: Blue Sky Press.

Book Summary

Camilla Cream loves lima beans. But she loves fitting in even more. Before her first day of school, she is anxious, looking through her closet for what would make her fit in and be accepted by the other kids. Then, oh the horror, she wakes up the next day covered in stripes! There’s nothing wrong with her--no headache, no runny nose--so the doctor sends her to school the next day. The kids laugh and point at her. Her stripes morph and change as the kids tease her. When the doctor calls in the specialists, they fill her up with pills to solve her skin problems. But instead of fixing her stripes, the next day she wakes up looking like a huge pill herself! Others try to solve her stripes and nothing works; she just becomes less and less like a little girl. Then one day, a little old lady shows up and offers Camilla some lima beans. At first, Camilla objects, saying that everyone hates lima beans. But as the old lady turns to leave, Camilla breaks down and tells the truth. She loves lima beans. And with this, she is back to her real self!

Impressions

David Shannon’s A Bad Case of Stripes is a great story about being true to yourself, even if that isn’t what is the most acceptable. Although Shannon’s story is a fantastical exaggeration, it still gets the moral across. Because most kids hate lima beans, Camilla Cream decided to be untrue to herself and deny her love for them. Because of this, her body reacts and she becomes less and less like herself. It’s not until she accepts herself for who she is that she is cured of her mysterious illness.

This picture book is definitely one to be read to younger readers and read by older readers. There are full paragraphs on the pages and the text is not simplistic for an early reader.  It would also be good for readers who have experienced peer pressure by attending school. Visually, it’s a very bright and colorful book. Camilla’s stripes change shapes and colors and eventually, even her body morphs into different shapes. She even becomes the shape of her bedroom. The illustrations help depict the fantasy of Shannon’s story and are so extreme that it helps to show that the story isn’t real and that you won’t get stripes from avoiding lima beans.

Professional Review

“A highly original moral tale acquires mythic proportions when Camilla Cream worries too much about what others think of her and tries desperately to please everyone. First stripes, then stars and stripes, and finally anything anyone suggests (including tree limbs, feathers, and a tail) appear vividly all over her body. The solution: lima beans, loved by Camilla, but disdained for fear they'll promote unpopularity with her classmates. Shannon's exaggerated, surreal, full-color illustrations take advantage of shadow, light, and shifting perspective to show the girl's plight. Bordered pages barely contain the energy of the artwork; close-ups emphasize the remarkable characters that inhabit the tale. Sly humor lurks in the pictures, too. For example, in one double-page spread the Creams are besieged by the media including a crew from station WCKO. Despite probing by doctors and experts, it takes "an old woman who was just as plump and sweet as a strawberry" to help Camilla discover her true colors. Set in middle-class America, this very funny tale speaks to the challenge many kids face in choosing to act independently.”

Noah, C.(1998, March 1). Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA. School Library Journal

Library Use

This would be a great combined storytime and craft book. After reading the story, kids would be able to color Camilla different colors and shapes. It would also be interesting to find out what sort of different foods the kids’ liked so that they could see that they may not be the only ones to like a “strange” food (ie. lima beans, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, etc).