Day 5: Elise Primavera Blog Tour

After years of basking in Lulu's mouth, wrinkly, soft Thumb has to go.

And Elise Primavera is just the author to make it happen.

In her new picture book, Thumb Love, Primavera introduces Lulu, a girl with a self-help plan to kick the thumb-sucking habit.

But it's not an easy plan to live by, especially for her thumb. He's been cozy in her mouth for some time-- and now he'll be just another finger on a hand.

How will Lulu give Thumb the heave-ho and still show him he's a great digit to have?

From the author of the popular Auntie Claus comes an amusing tale about a girl, a thumb and the pangs of separation.

Read more about this fun story in Elise's post below! Then read my review and click live links to more blogs on the tour.

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Jennifer: Welcome, Elise! Can you tell me how you got the idea to write about a girl's thumb love and whether you ever parted ways with a thumb of your own?

Elise: Writing Thumb Love was a different experience from any other picture book I've ever written. It started out as an idea for a subject to write about. Sometimes I'll brainstorm and make a list of things that I find interesting to write. Thumb sucking wound up on that list.

I won't lie. I had a hard time quitting the thumb. To this day I still cringe when I hear a well-meaning adult say to some startled thumb sucker, "Taste good?" I feel like saying, "It's not about the taste, dude."

What is it about then? It's about comfort, easing anxiety, and convenience -- you never have to worry about the thumb disappearing like that blanky eventually will.

As I said Thumb Love was a unique writing experience. As soon as I got the idea to write about the habit, I knew I wanted to impart my own advice on how to break it -- bingo! I immediately thought of the all-helpful Twelve-Step Program. The two fit beautifully together and the rest is history.

I like to think of it as my small contribution to thumb suckers the world over.

Readers may notice that Lulu bears an uncanny likeness to Marge's loopy-haired Little Lulu cartoon. Could this be her muse?

"Little Lulu! I LOVE her! But, no," says Elise, rather she was inspired by the pop art of Japan's Yoshitomo Nara (and Elise's pooch, whose name is Lulu).

Just for fun, I thought I'd show Thumb Love's Lulu along side her Lulu lookalikes and share two cute quotes about thumb-sucking.

Thumb Love's Lulu (left), Nara's pop art "Missing in Action" (middle) and Marge's Lulu Moppet (right)

"Though a thumb-sucking thumb may be wrinkled and wet, and withered, and white as the snow, the taste of a thumb is the best taste yet, as only we thumb-suckers know." Anonymous

"You can take a pacifier away, but a thumb you've got to live with." Anonymous

Other books by Primavera include, Louise and the Big Cheese and The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls.