Bookzone Reviews welcomes Amy Nielander the author of My Name is Not Ed Tug which is on tour with The Children’s Book Review.
ABOUT THE BOOK
My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Written and Illustrated by Amy Nielander
Ages 5-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: West Margin Press | ISBN-13: 9781513134871
Publisher’s Book Summary: A sweet, whimsical story about the meaningfulness behind a person’s name and the power of accepting people just as they are.
Edimorwhitimormiligimmus Tug has a very special name that is all his own. But his teacher thinks it’s too long and hard to say. One day she shortens it to. . . Ed.
But he loves his name just the way it is. So he comes up with a plan—if he can teach everyone his name, maybe they’ll love it too!
Sweet and whimsical, My Name Is Not Ed Tug empowers readers to own their identities and proudly celebrate who they are.
BOOK TRAILER
MY THOUGHTS
My Name is Not Ed Tug tells the story of a little boy who knows the meaning of his full name and is not satisfied with derivatives that will make others comfortable while making him uncomfortable. Our name is our very identity and having it changed without permission is not ok.
I chose to be a part of this tour because I identified with Edimorwhitimormiligimmus’ plight. In fact, I admire Edimorwhitimormiligimmus’ courage and wish I would have had at least a smidge of it myself growing up.
You see my name is not Dee it’s Diane (pronounced Dee-Ahn). After years of correcting the pronunciation, I changed it to Dee myself and then wondered why people had problems seeing me for who I am?
According to google Dee means plum (Chinese) sacred or goddess (English, Scottish). Diane on the other hand means “of the Divine” or a Beautiful and pleasant gift from God.
Knowing the meaning of my name helped me reaffirm who I am as a Christian and explained to me why my life was so structured. God had specific plans for me as a part of His kingdom and was preparing me for it.
With every explanation of how his name came about, the author does an outstanding job of showing how we can gently re-educate people who choose to call us or call out of us, who and what we are not.
In the bible, a name has a meaning and this calls forth the character of the person or child. This is why we don’t call a child bad or other derogatory words, instead, we say that their behavior is unacceptable.
I wish this book was available when I was a child. My hope is that it prevents other children from going through figuring out how to correct someone in authority who is bent on changing who they are.
It may seem inconsequential, yet when we think about it, it can be the beginning of allowances that lead to us losing our identity of who God created us to be. I’m going to stop there because I feel a tangent coming on. Lol.
I enjoyed the artwork however I found the print a bit small. Although, I’m not sure if the print was so tiny because I was reading on my phone.
The key takeaway for me was:
– Know who you are
I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars!
I received a complimentary copy of the book, however, this review was written voluntarily.
Amy Nielander is a designer and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator who loves to create playful stories for kids. Growing up, she had her name frequently misspelled by others. My Name Is Not Ed Tug is inspired by this experience and by her time volunteering in her children’s classrooms. Amy lives near Detroit, Michigan.
Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of My Name Is Not Ed Tug, the Potato-Noodle-Feel-Better Soup recipe featured in the story, and a Name Journal!
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
– A signed copy of My Name Is Not Ed Tug – A Potato-Noodle-Feel-Better Soup recipe (soup is featured in the story). The digital download includes an “Ingredient Checklist coloring page” for kids. – A Name Journal: A 3.5″ x 5″ pocket-sized journal with 32 blank pages (100% recycled paper).
