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Summary
Summary
Sophia tries varied techniques to get the giraffe she wants more than anything in this playfully illustrated story about the nuances of negotiation.
Sophia has one true desire for her birthday. But she has Four Big Problems in the way: Mom, Dad, Uncle Conrad...and Grand-mama.
Will her presentations, proposals, and pie charts convince them otherwise?
Turns out, all it takes is one word.
Author Notes
Jim Averbeck is the author of the Sophia series, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail; In a Blue Room , illustrated by Tricia Tusa; and of the novel A Hitch at the Fairmont . He is also the author and illustrator of the picture books Oh No, Little Dragon! and Except If . He studied children's book writing and illustration at the University of California Berkeley and now makes his home in San Francisco. You can visit him at JimAverbeck.com.
Irish-born, Bristol-based Yasmeen Ismail is an award-winning author, illustrator, and animator. Her first picture book, Time for Bed, Fred , won the V&A Best Illustrated Book Award and The New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award. It was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, longlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, and nominated for the National Cartoonists Society Silver Reuben Award. Yasmeen has been nominated for her other works as well and has been selected by the Society of Illustrators to have her work shown in the Original Art Exhibition in New York four years in a row.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
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 © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In this testament to the power of the word please, precocious Sophia tries to persuade her family to get her a giraffe for her birthday. Approaching each family member individually, Sophia cleverly tailors her presentation to fit her audience, offering evidence to her mother, who is a judge, and a business plan to her businessman father, and she even bolsters her case with a compelling visual a chart or slideshow, for example. But to no avail. Sophia is told she is too effusive, too verbose, too loquacious, and just too wordy, until she tries a single word, please, which works its promised magic and gets her her wish. The loose, brightly colored watercolor illustrations reminiscent of Chris Raschka's unique style feature a tutu-clad, increasingly frustrated Sophia interacting with her biracial family, and effectively capture the story's essence and gentle humor. The text's elevated language offers many opportunities for vocabulary building, but its chuckle-inducing wit is what will make Sophia and her family a reader favorite.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2015 Booklist