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Hold on to your chair, my dear reader, today you are travelling back to 1969.
My twins didn't notice the full effect it had on me, but they both asked for a repeat performance - it moved them as well.
A poignant book that was started in 1967, two years before it was published - by its then 16-year old author.
This is a story about Stevie, a young African-American boy.
Stevie's mother leaves her son in the care of her friend, who herself has a son - Robert, the main protagonist and narrator of the story.
You know how it is. The people around you ... well, they just get on your nerves, don't they?
They are too close and too much in the field of your attention - for you to value them.
You just focus on the negatives and then the person becomes the very epitome for character faults that you slap on to them.
It gets so bad that even Stevie's name becomes an issue that "proves" Stevie is just a total nuisance.
In the words of Robert: "The little boy's name was Steven but his mother kept calling him Stevie. My name is Robert but my momma don't call me Robertie".
From the outset, Robert has it in for Stevie, who moved in with his "old crybaby self".
Stevie seemingly cannot do anything right. He plays with (and breaks) Robert's toys, while the older kid is at school. Stevie walks all over Robert's bed and gets it dirty.
Worse of all, Robert is often entrusted with "baby-sitting" Stevie, which involves tagging him along whenever Robert goes out to play. Even Robert's friends start teasing their friend "Bobby the babysitter".
The buildup is surprisingly unsurprising.
We all remember those feelings of being "forced" to spend time with someone younger in order to keep them company.
As Robert puts it, the last time Stevie went to the park alone he fell and hurt his knee "with his old stupid self".
During the entire book - somewhere in the middle - Stevie only says one sentence: "I'm sorry, Robert. You don't like me Robert? I'm sorry".
I didn't see where this was going.
In fact, I am an adult for so long that I easily forget how a rich mine of goodness can be hidden under a thin skin of negativity in children.
Stevie practically does not exist in this book, except through Robert's deprecating remarks.
By the time I reached the half-way point, the continous belittling of Stevie seemed to leave no room for Stevie's redemption.
Indeed, Stevie, the little boy who seemingly does everything wrong (according to Robert), does not redeem himself.
One day Stevie's mother and father come and announce they are going away and that Stevie is going with them and never coming back.
Stevie leaves.
Richard wakes up next day to watch TV and makes two bowls of corn flakes and remembers that Stevie is not coming back.
Richard starts remembering the things he never noticed.
The fun that he and Stevie had running in and out of the house .... or playing cowboys and Indians ... or hiding under bed covers...
Robert remembers how he taught Stevie to write his name.... now he remembers all the good little details and the big stuff.
Even Stevie's major sins, such as getting Robert's bed dirty, were no longer so criminal - "He couldn't help it because he was stupid".
After seeing that his corn flakes got all mushy during his flashbacks, Robert explains to us wistfully:
"He was a nice little guy.
He was kinda like a little brother.
Little Stevie."
It is the narrator - Richard - who redeems himself in our eyes.
The last sentence - is the first time that Robert calls him "Little Stevie".
Stevie
is a beautiful book to share with your young ones and to open a discussion on how we treat those who are weaker or younger than us.
It is humbling to know that this deeply moving picture book was penned and illustrated by a young John Steptoe, who started work on it when he was sixteen.
His work first came to national attention in 1969 when Stevie appeared in its entirety in Life magazine. ''Stevie'' was named by the American Library Association as a notable children's book.
Sadly, John Steptoe died on August 28, 1989 at the young age of 38.
Finally, I recently read a social media post (quoting Robert Sutton) that reminded me of Steptoe's book Stevie:
What a valuable lesson to share with our kids!
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Robert remembers how he taught Stevie to write his name.... now he remembers all the good little details and the big stuff.
He was kinda like a little brother.
Little Stevie."
It is the narrator - Richard - who redeems himself in our eyes.
The last sentence - is the first time that Robert calls him "Little Stevie".
is a beautiful book to share with your young ones and to open a discussion on how we treat those who are weaker or younger than us. Finally, I recently read a social media post (quoting Robert Sutton) that reminded me of Steptoe's book Stevie:
"The best test of a person's character is how he or she treats those with less power."
What a valuable lesson to share with our kids!
Happy reading,
Read Aloud Dad
Where to buy
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Amazon.com (US) – Check price
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Amazon UK – Check price
Tip: if you’re buying used, check condition notes for library stamps or ex-school copies.
Further resources for parents (opens in new window – not affiliate links):
- The Horn Book – “Happy Anniversary: Stevie” (2019): A smart, readable piece on why Stevie mattered in 1969 (and why it still hits so hard now)
- Bookology Magazine – “John Steptoe’s Beautiful Books”: A strong overview of Steptoe’s work, with a handy list of titles and thoughtful notes on what he changed in picture books
- HarperCollins – John Steptoe author bio: A solid biography with the key “started Stevie at sixteen” story and a quick map of his career
- Rethinking Schools – “The Search for Multicultural Children’s Books” (Steptoe + Stevie in publishing history): A longer, serious piece placing Stevie in the late-60s shift toward real representation in children’s books
- Two Bookworms Blog – “Review: Stevie”: A clear read-aloud-minded review that notices the white space, the color, and the emotional turn at the end
- Wacky Mommy – “Saturday Book Review: … Stevie …” (2007): A personal “I carried this book from childhood” reflection that explains why Stevie lingers in the memory
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