{"id":31648,"date":"2018-11-30T23:32:37","date_gmt":"2018-12-01T03:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=31648"},"modified":"2018-11-30T23:32:37","modified_gmt":"2018-12-01T03:32:37","slug":"review-of-sophies-squash-go-to-school-by-pat-zietlow-miller-and-anne-wilsdorf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=31648","title":{"rendered":"Review of Sophie’s Squash Go to School, by Pat Zietlow Miller and Anne Wilsdorf"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Sophie\u2019s Squash Go to School<\/em><\/p>\n

by Pat Zietlow Miller
\nillustrated by Anne Wilsdorf<\/p>\n

Schwartz & Wade Books, 2016. 36 pages.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

I so love Sophie of Sophie\u2019s Squash<\/a><\/em>! Sophie is a girl who adopted a squash as her best friend, Bernice. At the end of the first book, Sophie was delighted by the \u201cbirth\u201d of Bernice\u2019s children, Bonnie and Baxter.<\/p>\n

The start of this book doesn\u2019t explain all that. It shows Sophie walking into a classroom, hugging her two squash, with happy faces drawn on them. It\u2019s not clear if the classroom is preschool or Kindergarten, though I suspect preschool. Sophie\u2019s parents tell her she\u2019s going to have lots of fun and make lots of friends.<\/p>\n

But Sophie didn\u2019t.
\nThe chairs were uncomfortable.
\nThe milk tasted funny.
\nAnd no one appreciated her two best friends, Bonnie and Baxter.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre those toys?\u201d asked Liam.
\n\u201cDo they bounce?\u201d asked Roshmi.
\n\u201cCan we EAT them?\u201d asked Noreen.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d said Sophie.
\n\u201cNo, no, no! I grew them in my garden. They\u2019re my FRIENDS.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As the book goes on, Sophie resists making human friends. They just don\u2019t get it. But one boy named Steven is persistently interested and kind.<\/p>\n

I like the way in the illustrations, Bonnie and Baxter slowly begin becoming spotty.<\/p>\n

Still, Sophie knew Bonnie and Baxter wouldn\u2019t last forever.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She starts thinking about doing things with actual people.<\/p>\n

At the end of the book, after Bonnie and Baxter have been bedded down in the earth for the winter, an idea from Steven prompts Sophie to help show the whole class how to grow plant-friends. <\/p>\n

I like the scene at the end:<\/p>\n

But before too long, tiny shoots appeared.<\/p>\n

Sophie and Steven did a new-plant dance and invited everyone to join in.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee?\u201d Sophie told Steven. \u201cSometimes growing a friend just takes time.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This book doesn\u2019t have the \u201cinstant classic\u201d feel of the first. But Sophie still has the same firm (not to say stubborn) personality, deciding for herself who her friends will be. And it feels true to the character that she would grow up to be this way. In fact, she still reminds me of my young niece \u2013 who doesn\u2019t necessarily make friends easily and believes she knows how things should be, but is ever so lovable because of (not in spite of) her quirks.<\/p>\n

patzietlowmiller.com<\/a>
\nrandomhousekids.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Picture_Books\/sophies_squash_go_to_school.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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