Last year, we fell in love
with Greg Pizzoli’s The Watermelon Seed. It was simple; it was funny; it had
just the right amount of unpredictability.
So when I saw that he had a
new book coming out this spring, I couldn’t wait to read it . . . um, to my kids,
of course. Not just to myself. Please.
Sam always wins. In speed,
turns, and finishing races, he’s number one. Always. Until one horrible day
when he finishes behind his good friend,
Maggie. He is devastated.
Before the next race, Sam can
think of little else besides regaining his title as number one. The race gets
off to a poor start, but Sam is determined and is soon in the lead. But then,
without warning, he is confronted with a choice. And that difficult choice
helps Sam realize sometimes you don’t have to win to still be number one.
Although very similar in
style to The Watermelon Seed, Number One Sam is grounded by a stronger moral
message and consequently not quite as funny. By “stronger moral message,” I don’t
mean that it was heavy-handed in any way; only that there was more to think and
talk about afterwards than just whether or not swallowing a watermelon seed is
a good idea. We love funny books, but we also love serious books if the subject
matter is treated in a fun and engaging way. Now that we've read both books, it seems Greg Pizzoli can handle either genre within the realm of his unmistakable style.
His illustrations are simple
but distinct. They have a subtle, retro feel about them. I love the way he uses
limited color and patterns. One of my favorite pictures in the book is when Sam loses.
It goes from being yellow and sunny to blue and depressing. The contrast is
striking.
At first I thought this book
was just going to be about being a good loser—a good topic for kids (and
adults), no question. But then, it ended up being about so much more than just
how to handle a disappointing event, and the turn of events was fantastic.
This book has only cemented
our affection for Greg Pizzoli. He can count us among his loyal fans, and we
will read anything he writes.
Many thanks to
Disney-Hyperion for sending us a copy. Rest assured that all opinions are my
own.
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