My rating: 5 of 5 stars
By: Sarah Kurpiel
Publisher. Year.
Jacket/ Marketing Synopsis:
Loves art class. He is sure that his clay pot will be the most spectacular one in class. A museum might even ant to disparage it. So he rolls the clay and coils it. And glazes it. Ta-da! Oh dear. Snake’s pot isn’t a masterpiece. It is a disaster. And then something even worse happens. Snakes make a BIG mistake. One that hurts his friend Turtle’s feelings. Snake will have to find a way to fix a broken pot and a broken friendship.
It turns out that everything takes practice - even apologizing.
Audience: 4-8 Grades k-1
Summery: Snake loves art class - until his clay pot breaks and he makes a a terrible decision.
Vid:
About the Author
Sarah Kurpiel is the author and illustrator of Elephant’s Big Solo, Lone Wolf, and Original Cat, Copy Cat. She is a librarian and a self-taught artist. She uses a power wheelchair and considers her disability an important part of her identity. She once made “the worst” class pot in kindergarten. Fortunately, art doesn’t need to be perfect to be fun. Sarah Kurpiel lives in Dawners Grove, Illinois.
Concepts/Lessons
Forgiveness and apologizing.
The Art
Illustrations were created digitally according to the copyright information which is somewhat surprising to me. I think the art is charming. I love the round edges, and the humor the images use to convey the story.
There is a scene where signs are used to show which pot belongs to which character which is brilliant because it helped my daughter, who couldn’t read the names, understand the mix up.
What I Loved
The Characters! This is a character driven plot in a picture book. Snake thinks, then does what he does. But he wouldn’t have gotten away with it if turtle had been the type to speak up. Her silence allows Snake to take all the credit and dig himself into a deeper whole. Her reluctance to forgive him adds unexpected depth and tension to the story!
I love how the author shows that it takes a week or two of really work at it for her to forgive him - instead of the magical happy instant forgiveness you’d expect from picture book. My daughter has erupted before because someone didn’t accept her apology right away. But that is real life kid.
I also loved the build up of tension as Snake feels an emotion that are hard to describe. Guilt!
Most people in my area describe guilt in religious terms. God will punish you. God sees all.
I appreciate a story where Snake is punishing himself! No parents or teacher reprehend him for his actions. He gets away with it, but he can’t sleep at night knowing what he did! And that is his path to recovery.
What I like:
The use of repetition to build the tension. Every time Snake looks to the left, then to the right, can he do it…he’s doing it! The stakes get a little higher and the tension a little stronger. Even when he’s telling the teacher what he’s done because we don’t know what the punishment will be.
The Take Away. There is a way to write about difficult emotions and topics such as jealousy, guilt, and forgiveness for young readers. Be brave, be creative, and try to use solutions where everyone wins in some way - even if the win is just the MC learning something.
Conclusion:
I loved this story. My daughter listened to this one with wrapped attention. I loved the art, the plot, and the message.
If you’re interested in this book please use my Amazon Associates Link to the give it try:
Hope to see you on the Next Page
View all my reviews