The Don’t Book

“Don’t leave licked lollypops on chairs. Don’t eat mudpies—even if they are chocolate. Don’t take your dad’s false teeth for show and tell. Don’t paint your mom’s roses green. Don’t take your goldfish for a walk.”

These bits of wit and wisdom come from The Don’t Book, a creation of the Dore family of Quincy, California.

“We felt the need for a creative project for family home evening instead of the usual games after our lesson,” they write. “But with children ranging in age from four to 17, finding a project of interest to all was difficult. One of the children suggested we write a book.”

Each of the “Don’ts” has been illustrated by one of the children, showing its consequences. The Dores report “lots of laughs and happy times in suggesting, discarding, writing, and drawing.” Bill and Gwen Dore, Quincy, California