One Word from Sophia

Starred review from March 15, 2015
Tutu-wearing Sophia packs determination, whimsy, and a plethora of strategies to handle a passel of impressive words. One small, vivacious, loquacious little brown girl dreams of her One True Desire: a pet giraffe for her birthday. Sophia must first convince Mother, a judge; Father, a businessman; Uncle Conrad, a politician; and Grand-mama, the strictest of them all. Sophia crafts consecutive speeches to build a case for the judge, a cost analysis for the businessman, and a poll (of her toys) for the politician. To counter accusations that her pleas are too "effusive," "loquacious," and "verbose," Sophia pares down the language with each ask until Grand-mama hears just one word. From the first page to the last, Sophia's energy, creativity, and innovative critical thinking will entertain both adults and children. Whether readers see this as a mixed-race family or a family of color with a broad spectrum of skin tones, this book offers a mirror for a wide variety of readers. Starting with the endpapers, the watercolor-and-colored-pencil illustrations depict the closeness of the family, their expectations of Sophia's intellectual prowess, and her adeptness at employing all of the wiles of childhood to persuade. A concluding glossary explicates the advanced vocabulary with wit and warmth. A must-read-for pet lovers and even for those not yet convinced. (Picture book. 4-8)

April 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-Poor Sophia. Her birthday is coming, and she only has One True Desire (a pet giraffe), but four major obstacles stand in her way, namely her mother (a judge), father (a businessman), uncle (a politican), and grandmother (a strict disciplinarian). She gives each member of her biracial family an individualized presentation including visuals and supporting material, but each one says no and critiques her presentation as being too wordy. In a last ditch attempt, Sophia does a group presentation of one word ("Please!"), accompanied by a compelling pair of pleading eyes. This effort garners (surprise!) success, so she follows it up with two equally important words-"Thank you!" Averbeck's text is a fun take on kindergarten meets the board of directors. Kids will get it even if they don't understand a few of the words (effusive, loquacious, verbose). Ismail's watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations are childlike in the best possible way-featuring bold colors and faces showing great expressions, Sophia's drawings, a pooping giraffe, and just the right amount of detail. They are a perfect complement to the text. VERDICT An amusing story to which kids and adults can relate. Plus it's nice to see a biracial family and female judge in the same book.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

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