Wanda's Freckles - Softcover

Azore, Barbara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1770493085 ISBN 13: 9781770493087

Publisher: Tundra Books, 2012

Synopsis

Wanda has freckles. Lots and lots of freckles. They make her feel special, until the day in the park when a group of boys point, laugh, and tease her for having spots. All of a sudden, the freckles she’d liked become a problem. What can she do? Wanda decides that there’s only one thing: make her freckles disappear altogether!

At a time when there’s pressure to conform to someone else’s idea of perfection, this playful story has an important message: individuality and self-acceptance are to be celebrated. In this poignant and playful sequel to Wanda and the Wild Hair and Wanda and the Frogs, the ever-resourceful Wanda puts her imagination to work to try to come to peace with those troublesome freckles once and for all.

The critically acclaimed author/illustrator team of Barbara Azore and Georgia Graham bring another Wanda adventure to life with humor and wisdom.

About this title

About the Author

Barbara Azore was born in England and immigrated to Canada in 1967. She spent many years working for the Edmonton Public School Board in elementary and junior high-school libraries. Since retiring, she has had articles published in the Edmonton Journal and a parenting magazine. Barbara Azore lives in Edmonton.

Georgia Graham, born and raised in Calgary, has been using chalk pastels since grade four. After graduating from the Alberta College of Art, she began using her artwork to entertain children in her Sunday-school class. She has illustrated many children’s books, including the critically acclaimed Wanda and the Wild Hair and Wanda and the Frogs, written by Barbara Azore. Georgia Graham lives on a tree farm in central Alberta with her husband and dog, Ginger.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K—Wanda, with her wild red hair and cheerful attitude, is not troubled by her generous helping of freckles until some boys make fun of her. Embarrassed, she tries lipstick and paint to cover them, then toothpaste to lighten them. After she gives the matter more thought, however, she decides that it's the boys' problem, and that she feels fine about her freckles. The premise is promising, but the text does not live up to the flamboyant, lively illustrations. Graham uses bright chalk pastels to show Wanda's hair curling energetically off the pages, to caricature the boys with extra-large taunting mouths, and to put a lot of patterning and texture into the backgrounds. Everything in the pictures seems to be in motion. The narrative, however, is lackluster. When a dog licks Wanda, its owner, a "little old lady," says, "I'm afraid he likes you.... You can't blame him...everyone must like you." That event is the turning point for Wanda. She remembers that she has friends who like her the way she is, but readers do not see them. In her dream that night, the teasing boys have large spots on their faces. While adults could use the story as a discussion starter about acceptance, on its own it is unsatisfying.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA END

About this edition

• Publisher: Tundra Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1770493085
• ISBN 13: 9781770493087
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 24
• Illustrator: Graham Georgia