Lucy Says, the latest and penultimate in the Wendy’s Kids’ Meal series, is maybe not quite what you’d expect. Now don’t get me wrong – it is indeed 10 pages of Lucy quotes (eight quotes in all), illustrated with pictures of Lucy. However, it’s not the quotes you might first expect… or at least the quotes that I first expected.  It’s not quotes from iconic Lucy, fussbudget Lucy, self-aggrandizing Lucy. Despite the cover, this is not the lucy who feels that she should be queen. About as negative as it gets a is a complaint that winters seem long while summers are short.

This is, rather, an upbeat Lucy, who feels that “the world is filled with wonderful things”, and that “all you need is a dog”. And while there is that aspect of Lucy throughout the strip’s run – she is, after all, the one who reflected on the warmth of puppies and the happiness which lies within – it is not where Lucy is the most interesting, where she is unique. So the question may be whether it’s right to use a non-generic character in a generic manner.

But this is a book specifically for kids under 3, so the more abrassive aspects of Lucy probably wouldn’t have been appropriate, and the real question is whether it’s right for a full grown adult to be seeking artistic purity in a book meant more for those likely to stick it in their mouths.

(Please note: I had considered sticking the book in my own mouth to give it a proper review for its target audience. I have decided not to.)

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