FICTION

Agatha

by Anna PIGNATARO
illus. by Anna Pignataro. 40p. Little Bee. Nov. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781499800968.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—Young Agatha is half-bear, half-pig. She's anxious and feels that she doesn't fit in. She stands out at family get-togethers and at school. Convinced that she isn't good at anything, Agatha hides rather than shares her talents with her class. Her teacher and fellow students pipe up with all the things Agatha is good at, and all ends well. What makes Agatha appear different on the page isn't that she is a bear/pig mix. It's that she is the only character with hair and rosy cheeks. (In fact, all of the animals are rendered in the same white, gray, and black with shading.) The animals' faces are expressive, and the pops of color on their clothes help make the illustrations inviting.
VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries needing more books about being different. For another book about being part one thing and part another, try Kyo Maclear's Spork (Kids Can, 2010).
Reviewed by Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA
Half-bear, half-pig Agatha feels "a little different from everyone else." When she starts kindergarten, she hides because she doesn't feel she has a special talent like her classmates, who pipe up on why they think Agatha's special. The message is well received, but Agatha's passivity is disappointing. Soft color washes and patterns pop on delicate, shaded line drawings.
 , Oct 01, 2015

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