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It was Friday, and Little Shaq was excited but not because
it was almost the weekend. He was excited because it was
Walter’s last day as their class’s Star of the Week, and
Little Shaq was sure he’d be chosen next. Part of the job
was taking care of Flopsy, the class rabbit, but that wasn’t
what Little Shaq looked most forward to. He thought Show and
Tell was the best part of being Star of the Week.
For months, Little Shaq had been saving things to “show.”
When Mrs. Terpenny announced his name, Little Shaq was happy
but nervous, too; his first important task was to take
Flopsy home, and that was a big responsibility. But when
Little Shaq noticed a poster about a Pet Fair in the
neighborhood, he had an idea. Maybe, if he did a good job
with Flopsy, his parents would finally let him get a pet.
For awhile, Little Shaq had been asking for a kitten of his
own; all his friends had dogs or cats, and he loved animals.
But then his mother pointed out that he needed to be
reminded to do his chores and make his bed. How could he be
responsible for a pet when he was so irresponsible
with everything else?
It was a long week for Little Shaq, and it started when his
brother, Tater, lost Flopsy. Then Little Shaq lost his
voice, taking attendance. He was in charge of afternoon
snacks and that got messed up, too. How could he ever show
the adults in his life that he was a responsible kid after
all?
Take out the garbage. Put away your toys. Clean up the
table. Make your bed. The list of chores is already a long
one for your child so, go ahead, add another: read Little
Shaq: Star of the Week. That’s a task he probably won’t
mind.
In this latest series book, author Shaquille O’Neal turns
his attention to another lesson for children to gently
learn: work hard, and you may get what you want.
Fortunately, kids won’t find this story to be too preachy or
unreachy; O’Neal’s main character admits how hard it is to
be responsible and how, sometimes, it’s no fun. Even so,
there’s a happy ending to this story and its illustrations
by Theodore Taylor III, and kids are set up nicely for the
next installment.
Though there are some big words inside this book, I think
early elementary schoolers should be able to tackle it and
slightly older kids will enjoy it, too. At the end of a
long, hard day, Little Shaq: Star of the Week will
make a great reward. |
