Square

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School, Brunswick, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 10, 2018

Review

The second book in the Shape Trilogy offers fewer hi-jinks and laugh-out-loud moments and more philosophy. This book finds Square performing his daily activity of pushing square rocks from his cave to the top of a hill. Square finds great satisfaction in the task and does not question his existence or purpose. Then Circle rolls by and marvels at Square's creations, labeling him an artistic genius. Cirle asks Square to craft a sculpture that looks like her and then rolls away before Square can explain that he is neither a sculptor nor a genius. He stays up all night attempting to craft a circle sculpture as perfect as his friend. Ultimately, Square falls asleep and when he wakes in the morning, Circle is there waiting for her sculpture. What Square has managed to create is a pool and when Circle sees her reflection in the water, she declares it "perfect" and again regales Square as "a genius". Square is not so sure. With Barnett's simple prose and Klassen's deep watercolor and graphite illustrations, the two have created another gem of a story. What is perfect? What is genius? Who decides the creator or the audience? Young audiences will have no trouble following the story and they will be engaged as they debate both the open-ended concluding question and the meaning of this seemingly simple tale.

Overall Book Score: very good