Sugar and Snails by Sarah Tsiang - ESSENTIAL

Sugar and Snails by Sarah Tsiang, illustrated by Sonja Wimmer. PICTURE BOOK. Annick Press, 2018. $19. 9781773210056

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

The book starts with a cross-stich of the old rhyme about girls and boys being made of different things. A grandpa then explains that rhyme to his grandkids, but they challenge him on those descriptions. The grandpa then makes up new rhymes for the kids that bend traditional gender stereotypes, but keep the playfulness. 

My kids fed right into the hands of this author. The minute I read the original rhyme, both my kids complained that that wasn’t really a fair description and then proceeded to love the book. We spent a good portion of time after finishing the book making up new rhymes following the same pattern. The illustrations are whimsical and and it is a fun book to read aloud.  

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher