Little Shaq

by Shaquille O'Neal, Theodore Taylor (Illustrator)

Overview

For early reader sports fans, this series from superstar Shaquille O'Neal will inspire kids to love reading.

When Little Shaq and his cousin Barry accidentally break their favorite video game, they need to find a way to replace it. That's when Little Shaq's science project inspires a solution: a gardening business. They can water their neighbors' gardens to raise money for a new game! Little Shaq and Barry make a great team both on and off the basketball court, but will their business be as successful as they hoped?

Showing kids that anything is possible with the support of friends and family, Little Shaq will inspire them to love reading, play fair, and have fun!

Read all the books in the Little Shaq series!
Little Shaq
Little Shaq Takes a Chance
Little Shaq: Star of the Week

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619637221
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	10/18/2016
Series:	Little Shaq Series
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	341,433
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Shaquille O'Neal is a retired basketball legend, a businessman, and a current analyst on the Emmy award–winning show Inside the NBA on TNT. During his nineteen-year NBA career, O'Neal was a four-time NBA champion, a three-time Finals MVP, and a fifteen-time All-Star, and was named the 1993 Rookie of the Year. Since his rookie year, O'Neal has been an ambassador for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a group with whom his relationship goes back to his youth in New Jersey. Passionate about education, he has earned his undergraduate degree from LSU, his MBA from University of Phoenix, and his PhD from Barry University.
www.shaq.com
@Shaq

Theodore Taylor III was awarded the 2014 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award for his first picture book, When the Beat Was Born. An artist, designer, and photographer, Theodore earned a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and son.
www.theodore3.com.
Twitter: @tedikuma

Editorial Reviews

The straightforward language is well-tailored to the target audience, and there's no missing the earnest, obvious messages about compromise, teamwork, and community involvement.” —Publishers Weekly

“A conflict-resolution story that may well inspire young sports lovers to garden—or young gardeners to pick up a basketball.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The language is simple and the story filled with a sense of community and friendship. . . A sweet addition to chapter book collections.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

07/27/2015
O’Neal (Shaq and the Beanstalk) kicks off a family-centric series with a mild story that unfolds over three chapters. As might be expected, basketball is at the forefront: Little Shaq’s ball-hogging leads to a rift with his brother Barry, culminating in a broken video game. Readers may be surprised to discover, however, that a gardening theme is equally present, as Little Shaq and Barry begin a plant-watering business in order to purchase a replacement video game. Taylor’s full-color illustrations do a passable job of reflecting the ups and downs of the characters’ emotions, though with the exception of a few scenes of on-the-court action, they begin to look static and repetitive. The straightforward language is well-tailored to the target audience, and there’s no missing the earnest, obvious messages about compromise, teamwork, and community involvement. A Full Fathom Five property. Ages 5–7. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

09/01/2015
Gr 1–3—This fictionalized look into the childhood of the basketball superstar features young Shaq and his cousin Barry. They're the best of friends and love to play video games. One day while playing their favorite game, they accidentally break the disc. Now charged with the responsibility of replacing the broken game, Barry and Little Shaq must come up with a way to make money. Working together, they come up with the idea to water plants. By working as a team and learning that hard work pays off, they eventually have enough to buy two games. Instead, Barry and Little Shaq decide to use the extra money to help out their community. Filled with cheerful illustrations, this is a quick and easy read. The language is simple and the story filled with a sense of community and friendship. VERDICT A sweet addition to chapter book collections.—H. Islam, Brooklyn Public Library

School Library Journal

2015-07-15
An argument between Little Shaq and his cousin Barry turns the two young basketball players into gardeners.After Little Shaq makes a spectacular play in a basketball game at the rec center, Barry storms away mad. Astute readers will, like Little Shaq's next-door neighbor Rosa, recognize Barry's reason before Little Shaq does: rather than pass the ball to Barry when he called for it, Little Shaq ignored him, keeping the fun and the glory for himself. When Little Shaq's self-centered behavior rears its head again in a video gaming session, Barry throws his controller in frustration, breaking the game disc. After a fortuitous gardening lesson at school and an intervention by Little Shaq's dad, the boys launch a plan together to earn money for a replacement game. The boys' pride in their work shines through both the text and the artwork, and the basic elements of planting and watering are conveyed simply and effectively. There are lively, full-color illustrations throughout, some full-page, many playfully interspersed with the text. A community gathering to refurbish the rec center's garden—and eat a neighbor's homegrown tomato salsa—provides a feel-good finale to this above-average celebrity vehicle. A conflict-resolution story that may well inspire young sports lovers to garden—or young gardeners to pick up a basketball. (Fiction. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews