The Exact Books

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it before, but my Lucas boy likes books.  No.  You don't understand.  This kid REALLY loves books.  He always has a trio of favorites that go everywhere he goes.  They sit in a neat stack while he eats his breakfast.  They go in the car every time we leave the house.  They go to bed with him each night.  The trio gets changed up every once in a while, (four actually, if he thinks he can get away with it.  But I had to lay down a "only three books in the car" rule a long time ago.) but they go everywhere he goes.

The boys did their last session of summer camp at the zoo last week.  I was somehow miraculously successful in convincing him to leave his books in the car and not take them into zoo camp.  I was pretty impressed with my skills of persuasion, actually...  But in his classroom at the zoo, they had books.  Oh, man.  Did they have books.  There was one particular book that Lucas was really in love with, and there were bitter, bitter tears when it was time to leave zoo camp and he couldn't bring it home.

Bitter tears, Gentle Reader.  Bitter, bitter tears.

But Lucas comforted himself with a brilliant idea he hatched all by himself.  "I know!  I can make the book!  I can make the exact book!"  And that was what he called his literary creations.  His "Exact Books."

 He used one of his own books as a guide.  Every page featured a different animal, illustrated in green marker.  Because that's his favorite color.  Why aren't all books printed exclusively in green?  Green chipmunks.  Green jellyfish.  Green North American river otters.

 And...  this photo has absolutely nothing to do with anything.  But I like it.  He is an astronaut.  Obviously.  I love wacky boys.