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Summary
Summary
This charming sequel to the beloved Sophie's Squash is the perfect antidote to the back-to-school jitters!Sophie goes to school for the first time and has no interest in making friends that aren't squash. Here's a gently humorous read-aloud that proves that making friends, just like growing squash, takes time.
On Sophie's first day of school, nobody appreciates her two best friends, Bonnie and Baxter, baby squash that she grew in her garden. Even worse, one classmate, Steven Green, won't leave Sophie alone. He sits by her at circle time. He plays near her during recess. And he breathes on her while she paints. Steven just wants to be friends, but Sophie isn't interested. Still, Sophie knows that her squash friends won't last forever. Maybe it would be nice to have some human friends after all. . . .
Author Notes
Pat Zietlow Miller received an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor for Sophie's Squash, her picture-book debut, which was published to four starred reviews and named a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. She is also the author of the picture books Wherever You Go and Sharing the Bread- An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story . She lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit the author at patzietlowmiller.com.
Anne Wilsdorf's illustrations for Sophie's Squash were described as "bursting with color and energy on every page" in a starred review by Booklist . She has illustrated numerous other books for children, including My Dog's a Chicken by Susan McElroy Montanari, Dogs on the Bed by Elizabeth Bluemle, The Best Story by Eileen Spinelli, Alligator Sue by Sharon Arms Doucet, and the Ruby Lu series by Lenore Look. She lives and works in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Who needs a friend when you have a squash? When readers last encountered the stubborn protagonist of Sophie's Squash, the girl's beloved Bernice was becoming freckled with spots and mushy. On the advice of the farmer, Sophie provides Bernice with fresh air, clean soil, and love (the squash gets buried by its favorite outdoor spot). Along with the arrival of the warm weather, a sprout appears, and, ultimately, Bernice's two offspring arrive. Now Sophie is starting school, and with her go the small fruits named Bonnie and Baxter. Once there, the kindergartner encounters and vehemently rebuffs the friendly overtures of the persistent Steven Green (who carries around a frog). Slowly, the classroom activities and outdoor games of her classmates begin to attract Sophie's interest, but it isn't until Bonnie and Baxter are tucked in for their "winter nap" and her teacher's question, "What makes a good friend?", followed by a tussle with Steven, an apology, and a plan, that she realizes that friends come in all forms, including human. Young children will relate to Sophie's unease in a new environment and her difficulty letting go of the familiar and comforting. Wilsdorf's watercolor and ink art, filled with details, depict a colorful classroom complete with art projects, books, blocks, and enough activity (and humor) to tempt the most reluctant of preschoolers to give kindergarten a try. VERDICT A warm and encouraging look at starting school, perfect for reading aloud and small group sharing.-Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
As the heroine of Sophie's Squash (2013) heads to school, Bonnie and Baxter-the butternut squash she befriended at the end of that book-come along. The squashes' painted-on smiles keep them looking permanently happy, but Sophie is having a rougher time: "The chairs were uncomfortable. The milk tasted funny. And no one appreciated her two best friends." A cheerful boy named Steven is the worst offender, as far as Sophie is concerned, and she rebuffs his repeated attempts at friendship. Once again, Wilsdorf adeptly captures Sophie's every mercurial grimace and scowl, as well as her softening attitudes, both toward school and toward Steven, who Miller gives the patience of a saint. By book's end, most readers will be willing to side with Sophie's parents, who remind her that it's good to have friends: "Especially human ones." Ages 3-7. Author's agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agency: Studio Goodwin Sturges. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
In Sophie's Squash (rev. 11/13), Sophie spends a lovely summer and fall with her best (inanimate) friend, a farmer's market butternut squash she names Bernice. During winter, Bernice "rests" in the ground; the following summer, Sophie harvests two new squash besties. Now those next-generation comfort objects, Bonnie and Baxter, see Sophie through a new adventure: learning how to be a friend. Unhappy about starting school, Sophie is firm about one thing: Bonnie and Baxter are "all the friends I need." She rebuffs the other children's welcoming overtures, especially Steven Green's persistent attempts. Both the text and illustrations treat quirky-kid behavior and foibles matter-of-factly and respectfully, making pigtailed Sophie a sympathetic character even when she's acting disagreeably. Wilsdorf's loose-lined watercolor and ink illustrations include lots of kid-focused details on every page and root the story firmly in a child's world of small dramas and big feelings. Over time, cracks appear in her resolve to keep all nonsquash at arm's length, but Sophie stubbornly stands her ground, even after Bonnie and Baxter go down for their "winter nap." In the end, tenacious Steven Green, who doesn't give up on Sophie despite her harsh treatment, ultimately triumphs -- as does Sophie, who concludes, "Sometimes growing a friend just takes time." kitty flynn(c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Starting school is tense for Sophie, even with her two best friends (squash with smiling faces drawn on them) along for companionship. The other kids don't really understand her doll-like squash, and though her classmate Steven tries to befriend her, she's just not ready. In Sophie's Squash (2013), Sophie discovered that relationships with vegetables are relatively short-lived, so she tentatively considers playing with other children. Soon after tucking the squash into the ground for their winter nap, she listens to a class discussion of what makes a good friend. She ponders those ideas later, and, after a quarrel with Steven, turns to him for friendship and for help with her latest great idea. While in many picture books problems are solved quickly, Miller makes clear that it takes time, as well as reflection and effort, for Sophie to decide that she wants friends and to figure out how to make them. The character is shy, strong-willed, and resistant to change, qualities many children will relate to as they start school. The text features realistic dialogue and well-calibrated narration, while the expressive, colorful ink-and-watercolor pictures capture the child's sometimes-chaotic, multicultural classroom and her shifting emotions with equal finesse. A rewarding picture book for reading aloud.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist
