That’s Why We’re all so Glad He Came with the Couch . . .

Unexpected books are something of a treat for me. You know the ones. They aren’t on any of the “must read” lists or mentioned in awards, or name dropped by other parents or kids. In fact, you could have walked right by and missed it if you hadn’t happened to glance at the cover and title. And it turns out to be a book you love—so then you set about telling everyone else about it because you’re sure they’ll love it too.

He Came with the Couch by David Slonim is such a book. I’d been trying to figure out what else to read a group of first graders and happened upon this little gem. I was won over at the title, already sensing this was going to be a great deal of fun. The muppet-like creature seated on a couch on the cover confirmed its quirky nature—Slonim’s art is delightfully whimsical. The story is thus: Sophie’s family needs a new couch (we understand this is the case since the picture shows the old couch being thrown through a window clearly having been worn to pieces, and set on fire). So they set about finding one. But the perfect couch comes with an unexpected accessory—a strange, fuzzy creature that won’t leave the couch no matter what Sophie’s parents try. Fortunately, the fellow seems fairly benign, even if he won’t leave his seat on the couch. After a trip around the country with the couch and creature (the doctor said he needed to get out more), the family comes to accept his presence. Acceptance becomes gratitude when he at last gets off the couch in order to save Sophie from a fall and wins a place in the family circle.

The plot description really doesn’t do the book justice—the pictures tell more than half of the story and provide some really wonderful humor. Engaging images in oil paint, pencil and ball point pen bring these characters to life. Even the dog, who is only mentioned once in the text, but has a key part to play in the story. (Check the title page for who’s responsible for the original couch being destroyed. ) The scenes range from full 2-page landscapes to simple white backgrounds that accent the character action. Slonim is a master of the field—his illustrations work marvelously well with the large text and situation. It’s funny and sweet at the same time and I’m just so happy I happened on it! Take my word for it, this is worth a look. The text is simple enough to be understood by a young listener, but the interpretation of the images and the humor is going to make this more appealing to a 5-8 year old. When I’ve used this book with my classes, I ask them what’s going on in the scene and allow them to make the interpretations. This can also work one-on-one, so that parent and child can discuss each scene. For instance, the family goes to visit the grand canyon . . . only our canyon seems to bear a striking resemblance to a couch! The ending is a particularly sweet one, and I have to say this book is going to remain in my favorite reads collection for a long time. I can’t wait until my son is old enough to enjoy it!