Alley Bucci (text), Lauren Mullinder (illus.), I Hate Rules, Little Steps Publishing, Dec 2016, 32pp., $16.95 (hbk), ISBN 9781925545128
‘Put the rubbish in the bin.
I bite my lip and fake a grin.
Not another rule, don’t you dare!
I am a kid, this is not FAIR!’
I Hate Rules is a funny, cautionary tale about a young boy called Nicolas, who decides to take the household rules into his own hands. As you would expect, mischief and mayhem ensue and before he knows it, Nicolas has upset his sister, made life very difficult for his hardworking mother, and got himself sick in the process.
As the consequences of Nicolas’s actions begin to dawn on him, the story takes a sweetly unexpected twist. Rather than simply hope that her son has learnt his lesson, Nicolas’s mother decides to reach a compromise. In a way, this title has more to say about the opportunities adults can take to instil an early sense of mutual respect and responsibility, than the child’s rule-breaking actions.
‘One day a week, a rule-free zone!
Don’t worry about cleaning, computers, or the phone.
Let’s just play, cook, make mess and explore.
Then we can go back to your rules like before.’
Written in neat rhyming couplets and vibrantly illustrated by Lauren Mullinder, I Hate Rules will appeal to many upper-primary children, and parents of independent youngsters hoping to encourage a better understanding of why rules are so important.
Reviewed by Lisa Mercer
