Angus All Aglow

by Heather Smith, Alice Carter (Illustrator)

Overview

Angus loves sparkly things, so much so that he can hear them.

To Angus, shiny objects not only look beautiful; they also crackle, buzz and go whiz-bang-POP! His unique ability is lost, however, when Angus wears his grandma's beaded necklace to school, and his classmates tease him for his atypical choice. Saddened by their laughter, Angus stops hearing the sparkle.

A gentle story of acceptance, generosity and friendship, Angus All Aglow reminds us that it only takes one kind gesture to restore your sparkle, and returning the kindness can make you glow from the inside out.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459814950
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	09/11/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Heather Smith is the author of several picture books, including the award-winning The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden. Her middle-grade novel Ebb and Flow was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award, and her YA novel The Agony of Bun O'Keefe won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award, the OLA Forest of Reading White Pine Award and was shortlisted for the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award and the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People. Originally from Newfoundland, Heather now lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her family.

Alice Carter has always loved telling stories through her whimsical art. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, she has worked as a freelance illustrator and fine artist for over ten years. She is inspired by people-watching, music and all the earth's magnificent creatures. Alice lives with her family of silly humans and serious cats in Ottawa, Ontario.

What People are Saying About This

Robin Stevenson

"A heartwarming and sparkly story of friendship. Angus is a lovable and charmingly original character, and his story holds an important message: we all glow a little more brightly when we are able to be ourselves."

Editorial Reviews

Charming illustrations accompany a text that celebrates differences—and friends that embrace all of yours.

The Horn Book

"A heartwarming story that emphasizes the individuality and creativity that each child brings to the world and the challenges children face as they try to communicate their uniqueness to others."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"The tale is one of inclusion, acceptance, diversity, friendship, and kindness, but all are subtly included and take a back seat to the story. This book's sweet message leaves you glowing from the inside out, just like Angus."

Booklist

"At once unique, but understandable…Angus' experience will also bring hope to those who may feel like a lone unicorn in a herd of horses."

Resource Links

"A heartwarming story that emphasizes the individuality and creativity that each child brings to the world and the challenges children face as they try to communicate their uniqueness to others."

CM Magazine

"A heartwarming and sparkly story of friendship. Angus is a lovable and charmingly original character, and his story holds an important message: we all glow a little more brightly when we are able to be ourselves."

award-winning author Pride: Celebrating Divers Robin Stevenson

Charming illustrations accompany a text that celebrates differences—and friends that embrace all of yours.

The Horn Book Online

"The tale is one of inclusion, acceptance, diversity, friendship, and kindness, but all are subtly included and take a back seat to the story. This book's sweet message leaves you glowing from the inside out, just like Angus."

Booklist

2018-06-25
Find the sparkle in your life.Angus loves all things shiny, sparkly, and attention-grabbing. This isn't limited to his apparel; he loves anything that has some extra razzle-dazzle: jewels, nature, and words. To Angus, sparkle is akin to an extra burst for the senses. Angus' "sapphire-studded scissors sizzle," and the stars above "crackle like a campfire." Angus' favorite bit of bling is his grandmother's necklace—five strands of multicolored glass beads that seem to pop. When she gives him the necklace, Angus wants to show it off to his friends at school. Undeterred by his family's mild protests, Angus wears the necklace and is immediately mocked. A kind classmate named Melody eventually helps Angus rediscover the beauty of bling by reconstructing the necklace into two friendship bracelets. Smith's story accomplishes some great things: It introduces readers to new reach-word vocabulary, and Angus' love of sparkle isn't tied directly to sexuality or gender identity, allowing it to reach the heterosexual cis boys who love a little glitz and glimmer. The message stumbles slightly because Angus' emotional well-being lives and dies by the opinions of others; he never finds the strength to trust his own beliefs. Carter's cartoonish illustrations, a combination of watercolor, gouache, and pencil, are muted, and the vibrancy described in the story is not relayed via the images. They depict Angus as biracial (his dad has brown skin, and his mom is white) and Melody as black.Not a must-have. (Picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews