A Squiggly Story

Starred review from June 1, 2016
A positive tale of how a story can emerge organically from an inkling of an idea to an imaginative literary excursion--even at the hands of preliterate kids.This story's young, brown-skinned male protagonist admires his big sister, who loves to read and write "BIG words and (little) words, page after page." But with just his "swirl after swirl. Squiggle after squiggle," he thinks he can't write a story. Like any good writing coach, his sister tells him: "Write what you KNOW." Using letters and squiggles, he writes about a visit to the ocean, where he and his sister play soccer, see waves, and encounter a shark. His story looks like this: "I o U .... VvVVvv ^." During show and tell at school, he shares his draft and gets feedback, which helps him finish the story. Lowery's line drawings and use of frames and speech bubbles common in comics make this a lively story that keeps readers guessing. He paints the protagonist's story in progress in pale green, bringing the child's imagination to life. The story's ending suggests a sequel--or several--that will perhaps illustrate the protagonist's growth as both reader and writer. This book offers a fine mirror for brown boys who aspire to write, but it's also a great pro-literacy story for all children about brown kids who hold reading and writing in high regard.(Picture book. 4-8)

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October 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-What happens when you have a story but you're not sure how to write it down? Larsen introduces a boy as he struggles to write a story, even though his sister tells him it's easy. The feeling of frustration at not being able to form letters, the excitement of reading a story aloud to the class, and the just-a-little-bit bossy older sister will all be relatable elements to young readers. Because the book shows the boy employing several real-life strategies for prewriters, like starting to write with well-known letters and drawing pictures in place of words where the letters are unknown, this is especially recommended for school library collections. Teachers may find it can be used as a model text during writing units for preschool and kindergarten. The title is illustrated in a graphic novel-style, with speech bubbles and boxes for different images on some pages. The palette of greens, beiges, pinks, yellows, and blues is cool, and the simply drawn cartoon characters are stylized but expressive. The boy and his sister and the students in the boy's class are illustrated with a wide variety of skin tones, giving this volume an inclusive feel. VERDICT A solid read-aloud for most any children's collection, but especially where writing is emphasized at an early age.-Celia Dillon, The Brearley School, New York

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2016
Preschool-G From the first pages, festooned with writing utensils, this story invites readers to think and create. The young protagonist, a cheery, brown-skinned boy, watches as his sister, an avid reader and writer, scrawls a story in a notebook. I wish I could write a story, he says, but I don't know many words. His sister encourages him to try anyway, and soon he's using individual letters and doodled squiggles creatively to tell a tale. A circle is a ball, Vs become waves, and soon he and his sister, I and U, are playing soccer on the beach. An upside-down V adds conflict: a shark has arrived! As his story grows with his sister's encouragement It's your story. You're the boss the narrative moves from his scribbled symbols to cartoonish inset images, which become even more elaborate when he shares his story with his class and they begin to offer suggestions. This playful multilayered story about sparking the mind is loaded with opportunities for readers to consider different kinds of storytelling.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017
A boy wants to write a story like his older sister but laments, "I don't know many words." She says, "Write what you know," and helps him get started. This well-meaning story meanders somewhat on its path to empowerment. The dapper art, in unconventional, muted colors, shows the brown-skinned boy author being encouraged at home and at school.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)