Number One Sam

Starred review from March 3, 2014
Sam the dog is a champion race-car driver, and he has the trophy wall to prove it. But racing isn’t just a sport for Sam—it’s his whole identity, and when he loses to his best friend Maggie the elephant, he’s truly shaken up. “The night before the next race, Sam didn’t sleep one wink,” writes Geisel Award–winner Pizzoli (The Watermelon Seed). Will Sam do anything to win back his title? What if it means mowing down five oblivious chicks who decide to cross the track at the very moment the race’s outcome hangs in the balance? One thing’s certain: this is another winner from Pizzoli, who employs the same naïf drawing style and four-color spot printing technique that gave his debut a silly sweetness and distinctly artisanal feel. Working with a more straightforward narrative this time, Pizzoli adeptly builds tension and sympathy for Sam, so that even when the story wraps up with a familiar lesson—a little sportsmanship and selflessness go a long way—it feels like
everybody really does win. Ages 3–5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

Starred review from March 1, 2014
There's more than one way to be the big dog in the little bestiary. Sam is top dog when it comes to zipping his red roadster around the track. "He was number one in speed. / He was number one at turns. // And he was number one at finishing races in the number-one spot." Like Sam, Geisel winner Pizzoli's artwork is crackerjack, too, with pure cupcake colors, French curves, blocks of high-octane negative space and personable animal pals. Then comes the day that Sam doesn't cross the finish line first. Fortunately, Sam proves not to be a poor loser, but his self-confidence sure takes a shellacking. He's a wreck, figuratively. When the next big race comes up, he even forgets to wish his friend Maggie good luck. After a slow start, Sam takes the lead. "Sam would be number one again!" Whoa! Five yellow, bespectacled chicks are on the racetrack. Sam hits the brakes and gathers up the peepsters as his friends steam by to the finish line. No. 1 takes on a whole new meaning. Pizzoli's story is a simple class act. Do the right thing--you can't lose, ever. And most of the time, the right thing is no great philosophical conundrum but as clear as the checkered flag. A polished work, from the words to the finish on the race cars. (Picture book. 3-5)

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Starred review from April 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-Sam is used to winning everything, including car racing, his sport of choice. His wall of trophies and trinkets show off his talent for success until the day the unthinkable happens: the pup loses the big race because he stops for a group of oblivious chickens in the middle of the track. Then his cheering friends and the chickens let him know that he is still number one with them. Children will be able to relate to Sam's disappointment when he loses while also understanding the concept that winning isn't always everything. Pizzoli's playful, cartoon illustrations perfectly showcase the message in a fun way yet never come off as didactic. Pizzoli's use of four-color art provides an airy, uncluttered vision for his story that will definitely attract children. The simple yet exciting text drives the story forward and will make it a popular choice at storytimes.-Christopher Lassen, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2014
Preschool-K They don't make dog racers better than Sam: He was number one in speed. He was number one at turns. And he was number one at finishing races in the number-one spot. On the day of the big race, he is happy and confident and steers his racer (which looks rather like a hot dog) around the track, neck and neck with elephant buddy Maggie. Then, with an effective color shift from bright pastels to moody blues, Sam lost. Young readers will identify with the shock of unexpected failure, as Sam arrives at the next big race quiet and nervous. (Observant sorts will notice the 1 on his race car has been crossed out in favor of 2.) But there are more important things than winning, as Sam gives up the lead to scoop some duckies off the path. Pizzoli's follow-up to the 2014 Geisel Awardwinning The Watermelon Seed (the starring crocodile makes a cameo here) again uses cheery Rocky-and-Bullwinkle-style illustrations and sparse text to pull off a far more emotional feat than you'd expect.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)