Sophia is about to have a birthday. The one thing she really wants as a gift is a pet giraffe. The problem is that she must convince the four grown-ups in the family before her wish becomes a reality. Sophia presents her arguments for the purchase of her gift to her mother, the judge, her father, the businessman, her Uncle Conrad, a politician, and her grand-mama, who is very strict. Her arguments are very well thought out showing a great deal of careful preparation. However, each of the adults turn her down basically calling her pleas to them as being “effusive,” “loquacious,” and “verbose.”
This is a fun story that will resonant with most children. In the end, Sophia gets her wish by simply saying “please” and “thank you.” The author includes a glossary of words each of the grown-ups use initially denying Sophia her birthday wish. “One Word From Sophia” is written by Jim Averbeck and Yasmeen Ismail.
“Weasels” by Elys Dolan is also geared to pre-K to second graders. The story opens with the question: What do you think they (weasels) do all day? It’s not what you think at all. The book is filled with complex drawings of weasels at work. That work is, of course, world domination. The weasels are non-threatening and are very adult -like in their tasks. Coffee breaks seem to be very important to their thought processes.
This oversized book is great fun. A child can spend a great deal of time exploring the drawings on each page, including the illustrations on the front and back covers