Onions and Books

How is a book like an onion?  My kids recently found out.  My goal was to introduce them to the idea that books have many layers.  It might seem like Hooway for Wodney Wat is about a rodent who can't pronounce his Rs, but when you peel off the layers, you discover it's really about the kind of person you should strive to be.  The more layers you peel off, the closer you get to the real message or heart of the book.  

It's kind of an abstract concept for youngsters, so I was hoping the onion would create a concrete connection for them.  As I peeled off the layers, I talked about the layers in Hooway for Wodney Wat, one of my favorite books to read over and over at the beginning of the year.  They were very intrigued by the whole thing and aware of the smell as well.  (My world smelled like an onion for days.)  Even though the peeled onion is long gone, and thankfully so, I can now refer to the layers of the books we're reading.  The kids are beginning to remove the outer portions and give input about the most important message.  It's still a new concept, but I'm pretty sure after repeated practice, the smelly onion will have served a great purpose.