Sweety

by Andrea Zuill

Overview

An Indie Next List Top 10 Pick!

From the author of WOLF CAMP comes the story of a charming, mushroom-loving, headgear-wearing, totally awkward naked mole rat who is looking for like-minded peeps.

Sweety is awkward, even for a naked mole rat. She has protruding front teeth, thick glasses, and some very unusual hobbies, including interpretive dance and fungus identification. She's intense and passionate—and her peers don't always get her. But surely there are other mushroom lovers out there? As Sweety sets out to find them, she comes to realize—with a little help from her cool Aunt Ruth— that being Sweety is actually pretty awesome. With heart and humor and a whole lot of charm, Andrea Zuill delivers a story about learning to embrace everything that makes you you—and that's something many kids are going to relate to.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525580003
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/26/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	203,572
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Andrea Zuill is the author-illustrator of Regina is NOT a Little Dinosaur, an Indie Next List selection; Sweety, a Booklist Best Book of the Year; and Wolf Camp, a Children’s Choice Award finalist. She is also the creator of Business Pig, Dance Is for Everyone, and Marigold & Daisy. Andrea is the illustrator of Cat Dog Dog by Nelly Buchet, an American Library Association Notable Book which was called "A clever, winning read-aloud for modern families" in a starred review from Kirkus. Her work has been exhibited in galleries in California, Texas, and New York. Visit Andrea on the Web at andreazuill.org or follow her on Twitter at @AndreaZuill.

Editorial Reviews

12/24/2018

Zuill’s opening description of her eponymous protagonist has startling frankness: “Sweety was awkward. Even for a naked mole rat.” Indeed, Sweety seems designed to test the limits of readers’ tolerance for eccentricities. Her prominent braces and spectacles make all the other anthropomorphized naked mole rats around her look downright mainstream; she misreads social cues and has passions that others find peculiar (“Would you like to come over to my house and help me identify fungi?” she asks another mole rat). But thanks to the unconditional affection and wise counsel of her Aunt Ruth, who was also a “square peg” growing up, Sweety has a nascent and increasingly firm belief that “being Sweety wasn’t so bad. In fact, it could be pretty awesome.” Readers who resonate with Sweety’s singularity may find their credulity initially tested, especially since Sweety’s peers are uncomprehending rather than thoughtless or cruel (her invitation to explore mycology is met with a puzzled but polite decline). But Zuill (Business Pig), who is fast becoming the bard of different-drummer types, effectively employs empathy, honesty, and an elegant ink line to persuade readers that everyone can find their people. Ages 3–7. Agent: Erzsi Deàk, Hen&ink Literary Studio. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Booklist Editors' Choice 
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year

“With hilarious pictures and tender, observant writing, Andrea Zuill gets to the heart of what it is to be an oddball in 'Sweety,' an endearing picture book for children...” —The Wall Street Journal

"Zuill takes a common theme—finding the courage to be yourself—and makes it funny, heartwarming, and inspiring." —Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

02/01/2019

K-Gr 2—Sweety is a particularly awkward naked mole rat. She doesn't always fit in with her classmates. She likes different things, like mushrooms and interpretive dance. Her grandmother calls her a square peg, but Aunt Ruth understands her. Aunt Ruth is a square peg herself and explains to Sweety that if the young mole rat stays true to herself, she will find her people. Sweety wonders who "her people" are and how will they recognize one another. Will there be a secret handshake? Sweety is indeed awkward, with head gear to pull her prominent front teeth together and thick eyeglasses. Pen-and-ink drawings, scanned and colored digitally in a washed color palette, depict the naked mole rats in clothing and other humanlike elements. Drawn with lots of squiggly black lines, tiny eyes, bald heads, and spindly limbs, the cast of characters could be described as adorable and dorky. Composition varies from page to page, ranging from spreads to multiple vignettes. The touching and comedic prose, dotted with an occasional conversation bubble, pairs perfectly with the adorkable characters. Square pegs rejoice, Zuill has created a worthy addition to her lineup of whimsical and lovable character-filled picture books. VERDICT A sweet and heartening selection, best shared one-on-one or in a small group setting.–Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services

School Library Journal

2018-10-28

A bespectacled naked mole rat stays true to her awkward self.

By human standards, Zuill's anthropomorphized naked mole rats are all pretty weird-looking: unsettlingly humanlike; pinkish-white but with beady little eyes, pronounced snoots, and vacant smiles. It seems that there are hierarchies even among naked mole rats, however, and Sweety is somewhere toward the bottom. With Coke-bottle glasses and headgear over her buck teeth, Sweety "could be intense"; she loves mycology and interpretive dance, and she has a hard time making friends with the more popular naked mole rats. Refreshingly, this story doesn't follow a "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" plot, in which deviance is only acceptable if it's useful to others, nor is anyone particularly unkind to the strange mole-girl. Sweety's aunt Ruth informs her that "being different was one of the best things about her life, and that if you stayed true to yourself, you'd find your people." Sweety thinks a little about how to be more popular and considers different attention-getting tricks to find her people, but at the end she decides to "continue to do her favorite things, and be herself." Hilarious, slightly (and appropriately) off-putting pen-and-ink sketches (with an especially delightful spot of some goth adolescent mole rats) perfectly illustrate Sweety's uniqueness.

This kind but snarky, winningly honest story about being a square peg is sure to appeal to misfits and queen bees alike. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews