Brain is (not) always right by Scott Stuart

Heart loves chocolate and playing hide and seek and fashion, whereas Brain loves lists and broccoli but especially he loves being right. When the two are together, Heart would love to do lots of things, but Brain always vetoes his choices. One day Heart sees something he really wants and does not ask Brain about it. Brain rails and rails against his choice, and Heart hardly has the heart to answer. But every time they pass the music studio, Heart feels sad and his heart is rent, and their home is silent. Their lives become less and less. One day when Brain passes the music studio, he stops and asks what would happen if they failed, would people laugh at them, and what would happen if they made a mistake. Brain is scared, but Heart encourages him to try it out. They go inside and play, Brain is not good, but Heart becomes better and better, his heart coming back together.

Together the two ask each other what they would like to do, and now they do things together aware of each other’s wants. And they each have a voice in their relationship.

A lovely tale of overcoming divisions between friends, the story shows that friends should give and take, and listen to each other’s opinions.

Lovely bright illustrations splash across each page, with the heart and brain shown in their forms with little stick arms and legs, giving a seemingly simpler vision of the main protagonists. Emotions are carried through the upturn of a lip or eyebrow, eyes closed or wide open. Children will be in no doubt about how each is thinking, and happily give their opinions about what each should do. 

The endpapers show the beginning of the tale with blank music sheets, and by the end it is filled with music which is a lovely parallel for the story of two coming together, listening to each other’s opinions.

Themes: Friendship, Opinions.

Fran Knight