One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck Book Review

One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck
Illustrations by Yasmeen Ismail
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 16, 2015

Sophia wants a giraffe more than anything in the world. She only has four problems though. Mom, Dad. Uncle Conrad, and the very strict Grand-mama. Her arguments fall on deaf ears though. That is until she says the right word.

Can I tell you how excited I am when I get to read picture books before they have been released? Usually, like all of you, I must get in line for books at the library, reading and reviewing them within the first month or two of release. However, every now and then someone at book club brings in a pile of galleys and I can barely contain myself.

One Word From Sophia is my favorite picture book this year, by far. Sophia is absolutely adorable, wonderfully drawn by Ismail with her little pom pom hairdo and facial expressions. Her family, in a variety of flesh colored hues are smart and witty. Sophia presents her proposals to each family member using their terminology to try and get her way. To her mother, a judge, she tries to argue like a lawyer. She tries pie charts and discipline. What a fantastic early representation of various professions and how they work. Sophia may even have argued that a giraffe would be good for fertilizer. The word poop is used. This will of course make the young ones giggle, as that word is prone to do.

In the end, of course, the magic word is please. And yes, Sophia does actually get a giraffe in the end.

With bright illustrations that will draw in young readers, I definitely think this deserves a place on the bookshelf.