The One and Only Sparkella and the Big Lie wills itself into your bookshelf

When the first book in The One and Only Sparkella series came out I was not a fan.  Because it’s written by Channing Tatum I placed the book in the category of ‘published due to his fame’ and not on the merits of the book. Well, here we are three books into the series and I find myself eating a large plate of crow. The One and Only Sparkella and the Big Lie is cut from the same template as the first two books which ran with energy and color.

If anything, it was those books’ flair, in addition to thinking that the series was being propped by actor’s fame, that rubbed me the wrong way.  Pardon me while I dig into this crow. However, with The One and Only Sparkella and the Big Lie it’s obvious that the charm of the series is in the soft lessons that they impart to pre-k through middle-elementary school readers.

Sparkella is a girl whose personality is embodied with big, colorful punctuations. There are rainbows and green twists in her hair and she’s always wearing a bright tutu with socks that don’t match. One day a new kid, Wyatt, rolls up into class and has an amazing sense of style. Sparkella wants to impress him when they have their play date, but she’s keenly aware that all of her stuff is sparkly. Thankfully, she’s playing with another friend, Tam, before that and Tam has some really cool toys.

There’s one very cool car, that’s also sparkly, that the two girls enjoy playing with. Surely Tam wouldn’t mind if Sparkella borrowed the car, would she? Well, wouldn’t you know it, Tam’s toy car goes missing and Sparkella and Wyatt have their play date with….a new car that she previously didn’t have. Tam is distraught over the missing toy. Sparkella is hysterical because Wyatt doesn’t want to play with it an her dad is momentarily confused why his daughter is freaking out until he sees the new toy in her bedroom.

Every kid has done something like this. For me, it was a series of Peanuts books that mysteriously appeared at the house just after the book fair. Granted that was a case where a bill for them came shortly after their appearance, but the request for said books was never uttered. Sparkella has a ton of guilt, apologizes to Wyatt for ruining their playtime, and goes over to Tam’s house.

She carefully breathes in-and-out and then presents Tam with the car that she’d stolen from her. Tam is disappointed, but forgives her friend, and explains that she easily would’ve let her borrow it, if she had asked. Suddenly Wyatt rolls up on his skateboard (he is so cool) and invites Tam over to play with Sparkella this weekend. The three have a magical play time where they wear sparkly items, play with cars and get along swimmingly.

It’s the presentation in Sparkella that I’m warming up to and can see how young audiences will enjoy the books. The colors in the illustrations are soft, yet detailed enough to where any early elementary-aged kid could see them in their room.  It is the text though that will endear the books to those young ages. They’re read-aloud books that also warm themselves up to those who want to spend time some solo time with the book. It’s in those times when kids will think about times when they’ve been selfish, haven’t shared things or haven’t been a good example of a friend.

Books on feelings for kids come in many packages. The One and Only Sparkella and the Big Lie, plus the other two books in the series, are great examples of books that are geared to girls but also have a strong father element. Her dad is always there to guide and support her, even when she does something wrong, and that’s a lesson that nobody can disagree with.

The One and Only Sparkella and the Big Lie is by #1 New York Times-Bestselling author Channing Tatum, illustrated by Kim Barnes and is available on Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group.

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