Little Shaq: Star of the Week, ultra niche #Kidlit

Little Shaq speaks to kids. The Little Shaq series of books offers a real world story to pre-K and young elementary students that are in, or maybe just beyond the “Read to Me” books. The latest release in the series Little Shaq, Star of the Week has practical lessons and things which that young age can relate to with humor, consequences and family.

In Star of the Week Little Shaq wants a pet at home. Thankfully he’s just been chosen as the star of the week in his class which means that he’s responsible for taking home the class bunny rabbit for a week. This means that he’s got to feed, love and clean it for the week all on his own.

Shortly after Flopsy gets home she makes of mess of the place because Little Shaq didn’t follow the instructions the teacher had given him. Little Shaq does what most children would do and tries to blame his younger sister. His mother correctly points out that while she was partially at fault the care and responsibility of Flopsy is entire his.

Each page of the book has art by Theodore Taylor III. They vary in size but each one helps young readers break up the pacing of the book. This is important to point out because the chapters as written by Shaquille O-Neal are about 20 pages long. Granted there are only three chapters, but I suspect that the length of these was the main factor as to why our children didn’t like the book.

Their other books that are at a similar or higher reading level have chapters that are nine pages maximum. The text is large in Little Shaq and every two pages has an illustration on it. However, the mental association with having a chapter to break things up or a natural stopping point weighs large, in an unspoken way, when kids read it.

Adults love Shaquille O’Neal. Even if they aren’t basketball fans they know his image, personality, funny sense of humor, philanthropic work or something else to have a favorable opinion of him.

Little Shaq: Star of the Week is one of those children’s books that will really speak to a narrow segment of reluctant readers. If you have a kid that likes sports more than they like reading and are in elementary school this is the series for you. For non-sports fans it is refreshing to have a children’s book based in reality and without any sense of crudeness or silliness at all. However, based on the kids that I read to at our elementary school, I suspect that they are the minority.